The Caldwell tribune., 1905-12-09

1
Congress, at Its third session. called atten-
tion to the necessity for legislation requir-
| ing the use of block signals upon ra1lroaoS
engaged in interstate commerce. The mum,
ber of serious collisions upon nnbiockeo
| roads that have occurred within the, past
year adds force to the recommendation then
propriate legislation, for the introduction or
block signals upon all railroads engaged IN
interstate commerce at the eafhest ptacth
cable date, measure OF increased S@ASSs
to the travelling public. :.
Through decisions of the Supreme Court OF
1.-THE United States and the lower feoeta1
courts in cases brought before them 1or
Adjudication the safety-appliance law mas
been materially strengthened, and the Gov
ernment has been enabled to secure Ns
effective enforcement in almost all cases
with the result that the condition OF raii-
road equipment throughout the country Is
much improved and railroad employees per-
form their duties under safer conditions tnah
heretofore. The Governments most ehectNe
aid in arriving at this result has been Its
inspection service and that these improved
conditions not more general Is que To
the insufficient number of inspectors en-
ployed. The inspection service has fully
demonstrated its usefulness, ana IN appro"
priating for its 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 rail-
road employees in train service are In many
cases subjected Is also a matter which may
| engage
Congress. The strain, both 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 any reasons for limiting
by law the hours of labor In any employ
ment. they certainly apply with peculiar
force to the employment of those upon whose
vigilance and alertness in the performance
of their duties the safety of all who travel
by rail depends.
Employers Liability Law.
In my annual message to the Fifty-sev-
enth Congress, at its second session, l rec
commended the passage Of an employees la
bility law for the District of Columbia and
in our NavyYards. renewed that recon-
mendation in my message to the Fifty-
eighth Congress, at its second session, and
further suggested the appointment Of com
mission to make a comprehensive study OF
employers liability, with a view to the en-
actment of swise and constitutional law
covering the subject, applicable to all in
dustries within the scope OF the Federal
power I hope that such law will be pre-
pared and enacted as speedily as possible.
Labor
The National Government has as rule
but little occasion to deal with the for
midable 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 deal with by
the state and municipal authorities and not
by the National Government. The National
Columbia, however, and it should see to it
that the City Of Washington is made a
model city in all respects both as regards
parks, public Fairgrounds, proper regulation
of the system Of housing SO to do away
with the evils Of alley tenements, a proper
system of education. a proper system of
dealing with truancy and juvenile offenders,
a proper handling of the charitable work
of the District. Moreover there should be
proper factory laws to prevent all abuses in
the employment of women and children in
the jatr ~ will hn oh hinHU 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 that does not
justify a denial Of the power any more than
an improper exercise of the power to call a
strike by 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 hear
ing to be ex parte II the adverse party does
not appear at the time and place ordered.
What Is due notice must depend upon the
facts Of the case; 1t should not be used as a
pretext to permit violation OF law, or the
jeopardizing of life or property. OF course,
this would not authorize the issuing of a
restraining order injunction in any case
In which it Is not already authorized by ex-
listing law
| I renew the recomm endation / made in
my last annual message for an investiga-
tion by the Department of Commerce and
Labor OF general labor conditions, especial
| attention to be paid TO the conditions of
child labor and child-labor legislation in the
several states Such Investigation should
take into account the various problems
with which the question of child labor is
connected. 1t Is true that these problems
can be actually met in most cases only by
the states themselves, but it would be well
Naf fo and 20 Il
publish comprehensive information as to the
conditions Of the labor Of children In the
dlHerent states, SO as to spur up those that
are behindhand, and to secure approximate
~ uniform legislation of a high character
among the several states. In such a republic
as ours the one thing that We cannot afford
to neglect Is the problem of turning out de-
cent citizens. The future of the Nation de-
pends upon the citizenship of the genera
| tions to come: the children of TODAY are
tnose who tomorrow will shape the destiny
or our land and we cannot afford to neglect
them. The Legislature of Colorado has rec
commended that the National Government
PROVIDE some general measure for the pro-
lection from abuse of children and dnn,h
lay the matter before you for what trust
Will be your favorable consideration
Ihe Department Of Commerce and Labor
snould also make a thorough Investigation
or the conditions OF women in industry Over
o'Vuo'ouo American women are now engaged
IN gainful occupations; yet there Is an al
= NN--~F'~N0 which
oase any trustworthy conclusions as re-
gards subject as important as it is vast
and complicated. There is need of full
knowledge on which to base action looking
toward state and municipal legislation for
the protection of working women The in
PRODUCTION Of women into industry is work
ing change and disturbance In the domestic
ana social life of the Nation The decrease
IN marriage, and especially In the birth
rate, has been coincident with it, We r1ust
race accomplished facts, and the adiustment
to FACTORY conditions must be made: hnt
surely II can be made with less friction and
less harmful effects family life than ts
no" the case. This whole matter In rea,i+W
forms one of the greatest soctoloeIcsl ma
homena or our time; 1t is social oues+ion
| II the nrst Importance, of far greater i'm,
poftance than any merely political or eco
! ionic question can be- and to solve il we
heed ample data, gathered in a sane and
scientlhc spirit in the course of an ax1
"austiVe investigation
| Insurance.
| The great insurance companies shord .4u
| ing examples of corporations whose business
mas extended so far beyond the iurisdictinn nI
the states which created them as to precIu6e
| stFlct enforcement of supervision and regnIo
llon py the parent states. In nv last On
hual message l recommended that the Gov
sress carefully consider whether the nowar -,
| the bureau of COrDorations cannot cons+,.1
tlonally be extended to cover interstate trant,
dctlons IN insurance. Recent events bar~o
| acter or insurance, for in the aheonoa ~ :
| emphasized the Importance of an early an5 ~