Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-05

formidable group of problems connect ed 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 not by the national government. The national government has control of the District of Columbia, however, and it should see to it that the city of Wash ington is made model city in all re- spects, both as regards parks, public playgrounds, proper regulation of the system of housing so as to do away with the evils of alley tenements, a proper system of education, proper system of dealing with truancy and ju- veniie offenders, proper handling of the charitable work of the District. Moreover. there should be proper fac tory laws to prevent all abuses in the employment of women and children in the District These will be useful chief ly as object lessons, but even this limit ed 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 .imita- ton of the equity powers of our courts would be most unwise. It is true that some judges have misused this power, but this does not justify denial of the power any more than an improper ex- 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 ad- verse parties before granting the writ, the hearing to be ex parte if the ad- verse 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 pre- text to permit violation of law or the jeopardizing of life or property. Of course this would not authorize the is- suing of restraining order or injunc- ton in any case in which it is not al- ready authorized by existing law.
 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 ditions, 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 connected. It is true that these prob lens can be actually met in most cases only by the states themselves, but 1t would be well for the nation to en- deavor to secure and publish compre- hensive information as to the condi- tions of the labor of children in the different states so as to spur up those that are behindhand and to secure ap- proximately uniform legislation 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 citizens. 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 Colo rado has recommended that the nation al government provide some general measure for the protection from abuse of children and dumb animals through out the United States. I lay the mat, far haforn vo,, fo. r,hat tr,,ot ,.rttI ho your favorable consideration.
 The department of commerce and la- bor should also make thorough inves- tigation of the conditions of women in industry. Over 100000 American wo- men are now engaged in gainful occu- pations, yet there Is an almost complete dearth of data upon which to base any trustworthy conclusions as regards a subject as important as it is vast and complicated. There Is need of full looking toward state and municipal legislation for the protection of work ing women. The introduction Of wo- men into industry is working change and disturbance in the domestic and social life of the nation. The decrease in marriage, and especially in the birth rate, has been coincident with 1t. We must face accomplished facts, and the adjustment to factory conditions must be made, but surely it can be made with less friction and less harmful ef fleets on family life than Is now the case. This whole matter ins.Feality forms one of the greatest sociological phenomena of our time. It is a social question of the first importance. of far greater importance than any merely po- litieal or economic question can be, and to solve it we need ample data. gather ed in a sane and scientific spirit in the course of an exhaustive investiga- ton.
 Tn 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 by 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 a 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