The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-05
SAFEGUARDS FOR
NATIONS TOILERS
President Pays Especial Atten-
ton to Women and Chill
dren Who Work.

The national government has as a
rule but little occasion to deal with the
formidable group Of problems con-
is known as the labor question, for in
the great majority of cases these prob
lens must be dealt with by the state
and municipal authorities and not by
the national government. The national
government has control of the District
Of Columbia, however. and it should
see to 1t that the city of Washington is
made model city In all respects, both
as regards parks, public Fairgrounds:
housing so as to do away with the
evils of alley tenements, proper sys-
tenn of education, proper system Of
dealing with truancy and juvenile Of
tenders, proper handling of the char
liable work. or the District. Moreover,
there should be proper factory laws to
prevent all abuses in the employment
These will be useful chiefly as object
lessons but even this limited amount
Of usefulness would DO Of real national
value.
Injunctions.
There has been demand for depriving
courts Of the power to issue injunctions
In labor disputes. Such special limita-
ton Of the equity powers of our courts
would be most unwise. 1t is true that
some judges have misused this power;
but this docs not Justify denial of the
ercise Of the power to call strike by a
labor leader would justify the denial Of
the right to strike. The remedy is to
regulate the procedure by requiring the
judge to give due notice to the adverse
parties before granting the writ, the
hearing to be ex parte if the adverse
party does not appear at the time and
place ordered. What is due notice must
depend upon the facts Of the case; it
should not be used as a pretext to per
NIT violation of law, or the jeopardizing
OF life Or property. Of course, this
would not authorize the issuing of a re-
straining order or injunc tion in any case
in which 1t is not already authorized by
existing law. .....
Probe Child Labor.
I renew the recommendation I made
IN my last annual message for an in.
vestigation by the department Of com
merce and labor Of general labor con
d1tlons, especial attention to be paid to
the conditions of child labor and child
labor legislation in the several states,
Such an investigation should take into
account the various problems with
which the question of child labor is con-
nected. It is true that these problems
can be actually met in most cases only
bv the states themselves, but it would
De well for the nation to endeavcr to Sc.
cure and publish comprehensive inform
alton as to, the conditions Of the labor
OF children in the different states so as
TO spur up those that are behindhand,
lanis7 to secure approximately uniform
the several states In such a republic
as ours the one thing that we can not
afford to neglect IS the problem Of turn
ing out decent citizens The future Of
the nation depends upon the citizen
snip OF the generations to come; the
children of today are those who tomor-
row viii shape the destiny of our land
and we cannot afford to neglect them.
The legislature Of Colorado has recon-
mended that the national government
provide. some general measure for the
protection from abuse of children and
dumb animals turnout the United
States: lay the matter before YOU for
what trust will be your favorable con.
Women Toilers.
The department of commerce and
labor should also make, a thoro investi-
gad{l lsa OF TIE conditions of women in
women are now engaged in gainful II oc-
cupations; yet there is an almost com
plete dearth of data upon which to base
any trustworthy conclusions as regards
subject as important as it is vast and
complicated. There is need of full
knowledge on which to base action look
lation for the protection of working
women. The introduction Of women
into Industry is working change and
disturbance in the domestic and social
life OF the, nation. The decrease in mar.
rage, and especially in the birth rate,
aas peen co1nc1dent with it. We must
justment to factory conditions must be
made; but surely it can be made with
less friction and lesssharmful effects on
FAMILY life than is now the case. This
whole matter in reality forms one Of
the greatest sociological phenomena of
our time; 1t is a social question of the
portance than any merely political or
economic question can be; and to solve
1t we need ample data, gathered in n
sane and scientific spirit in the course
or an exhaustive investigation.
Rights Of Public.
In any great labor disturbance not
only are employer and employee inter
ested, but also third party-the gen
eral public. Every considerable labor
difficulty in which interstate commerce
is involved should be investigated nv
the government and the facts Officially
reported to the public.
The question Of securing a healthy.
self-respecting, and mutually sympa,
thetic attitude as between EMPLOYER
and employee, capitalist and wage
worker, is difficult one. All phases
OF the labor. problem prove difficult
when approached. But the underlying
principles, the root principles, in ac,
cordance with which the problem must
be solved are entirely simple. We can
get justice and right dealing only if
we put as Of paramount Importance the
principle of treating a man on his
worth as a man rather than with refer
ence to his social position, his occupa-
ton, or the class to which he belongs.
There are selfish and brutal mon in all
ranks of life. If they are capitalists
their selfshness and brutality may
take the form of hard Indifference to
suffering, greedy disregard Of every
moral restraint which interferes with
the accumulation Of wealth, and cold
blooded exploitation Of the weak; or,
II they are laborers, the form of lazi--
ness, OF suIlen envy of the more fortu-
nate, and of willingness to perform
deeds or murderous violence. Such
conduct IS just as reprehensible in one
case as IN the other, and all honest and
farseeing men should Join in warning
against it wherever it becomes mani,
fest. Individual capitalist and Individual
wageWorker, corporation and union, are
alike entitled to the protection of the
law, and must alike Obev tho law