Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05


thought of anything even remotely TNsem-
bling subservfency to rich men, But while
fully admit the difficulties in the way.
do not for moment admit that these
difficulties warrant US in stopping In our
effort to secure wise and just system
They should have no other enect than TO
spur US on to the exercise of the resolution.
the eyen-handed Justice and the fertility
of resource, which we like to think of as
typieally American, and which will in the
end achieve good results in this as In other
fields of activity. The task ts a great one
and underlies the task of dealing with the
whole industrial problem. But the fact that
1t Is great problem does not warrant
us in shrinking from the attempt TO solve
It, At present we face such utter lack OF
supervision, such freedom from the re-
straints of law. that excellent men have
often been literally forced into doing what
they deplored because otherwise they were
left at the mercy~of INSCRIPTIONS eompeti-
tors. To rail and assail the men who have
done as they best could under. such condi-
lions accompllshes little. What we need to
do is to develop an orderly system; and sueh
a system can only come through the gradu-
ally increased exercise of the right OF EN-
Gent government control.
Safety Appliances.
In my annual message to the Fifty-eighth
Congress, at its third session, called at
tention to the necessity for legislation re-
curing the use of block signals upon rail-
roads engaged In Interstate commerce. The
number of serious collisions upon unlocked
roads that have occurred within the past
year adds force to the recommendation then
made. The Congress should provide, by APP
propriate legislation, for the Introduction OF
block signals upon all railroads engaged
IN Interstate commerce at the earliest prac-
ticable date, as a measure OF increased
safety to the travelling public
Through decisions of the Supreme Court
of the United States and the lower federal
courts in cases brought before them 1of
adjudication the safety-appliance law has
been materially strengthened, and the gov
eminent has been enabled to secure Its eff
fcttve enforcement in almost all cases, with
the result that the condition of railroad
equipment throughout the country is much
improved and railroad employees perform
their duties under safer conditions than
heretofore. The governments most effec-
tive aid in arriving at this result has been
| its inspection service, and that these inn
proved conditions are not more general Is
due to the insufficient number of inspectors
employed. The inspection service has fully
demonstrated its usefulness. and in appro-
priating for it's maintenance the Congress
should make provision for an increase In the
number of inspectors
Hours of Labor of Railroad Employees.
The excessive hours of labor to which
railroad employees in train service are in
many cases subjected is also a matter
which may we'll engage the serious atten-
lioIl VI Tire StHSIeSS. lie StTdiIl, DOlu
mental and physical, upon those who are
engaged In the movement and operation of
railroad trains under modern conditions is
perhaps greater than that which exists in
any other industry, and If there are any
reasons for limiting by law the hours of
labor in any employment they certainly
apply with peculiar force to the employ
ment of those upon whose vigilance and
alertness in the performance of their duties
the saefty of all who travel by rail de-
ponds.
In my annual message to the Ffty-sev-
enth Congress, at its second session, l rec
liability law for the District of Columbia
and in our navy yards l renewed that
recommendation in my message to the
Fifty-eighth Congress, at it's second ses-
sion, and further suggested the appoint
ment Of a commission to make a compre-
hensive study of employers liability. with
a view 10 the enactment of a wise and
constitutional law covering the subject. ap-
plicable to all industries within the scope
of the federal power. I hope that such
law will be prepared and enacted as speed
lily as possible
Labor.
The national government has as a rule
but little occasion to deal with the formi-
dable group of problems connected more or
less directly with what is known as the
labor question, for in the great majority
of cases these problems must be dealt with
by the state and municipal authorities and
not by the national government. The ma
tional government has control of the Dis
trict 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 proper
regulation of the system Of housing so as
to do away with the evils of alley tene-
ments, a proper system of education,
proper system of dealing with truancy and
juvenile offenders, a proper handling of the
charitable work of the District. Moreover,
there ShDnid he factory laws n
prevent all abuses in the employment of
women and children in the District These
will be useful chiefly as object lessons, but
even this limited amount of usefulness
would be of real national value
There has been demand for depriving
courts OF the power to issue injunctions in
labor disputes. Such special limitation of
the equity powers of our courts would be
most unwise. 1t Is true that some judges
have misused this power; but this does not
justify a denial of the power. any more than
an improper exercise of the power to call
a strike by q labor leader would justify
the denial of the right to strike. The rem
edy is to regulate the procedure by
quiring 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 oretext to permit
violation Of law, or the jeopardizinS of life
or property. OF course. this would not u
or injunction in any case in which it is not
already authorized by existing law.
l renew the recommendation l made In
my last annual message for an investiga-
ton by the Department Of Commerce and
Labor of general labor conditions espe-
cial 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 prob
lens with which the question of child labor
is connected. 1t Is true that these prob
lens can be actually met in most cases
only by the states themselves. but 1t would
be we'll for the nation to endeayor to Sc
cure and publish comprehensive Informal
ton as to the conditions of the labor of
children in the different states so as to
spur up those that are behindhand, and to
secure approximately uniform legslat on
of high character among the several
states. In such republic as ours the one
thing that we cannot afford to neglect
is the problem of turning out decent citi-
zens The future of the nation depends
upon the citizenship of the generations to
come; the children of today are those who
tomorrow will shape the destiny of our
land and We cannot afford to neglect them.
The legislature of Colorado has recon-
mended that the national government pro-
vide some general measure for the protec-
ton from abuse of children and dumb ami
mails throughout the United States l lay
the matter before you for what / trust