Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-12-07

degree destroyed by the weapon OF delay,
almost the most formidable weapon In
the hands of those whose purpose it is
to violate the law.
The question of transportation lies
at the root of all industrial success.
and the revolution in transportation
which has taken place during the last
half century has been the most i'm
portant factor in the growth of the
| new industrial conditions. Most en-
| phatically we do not wish to see the
man of great talents refused the re-
ward for his talents. Still less do we
wish to see him penalized; but we do
desire to see the system of railroad
transportation so handled that the
strong man shall be given no advan-
tage over the weak man. We wish to
insure as fair treatment for the small
! town as for the big city; for the small
shipper as for the big shipper. In the
old lays the highway of m
whether by water or by a road on
land. was open to all; it belonged to
the public and the traffic along it was
free. At present the railway is this
highway, and we must do our best to
see that it is kept open to all on equal
terms. Unlike the old highway it is
a very difficult and complex thing to
manage and it is far better that it.
should be managed by private indi-
viduals than by the government. But
it can only be so managed on condi-
ton that justice is done the public.
1t is because, in my Judgment, public
ownership of railroads is highly I'M
desirable and would probably in this
country entail far-reaching disaster,
that 1 wish to see such supervision
and regulation of them in the inter-
est of the public as will make it evil
dent that there is no need for public
ownership. The opponents of govern
ment regulation dwell upon the diff
culties to be encountered and the in
tricatc and involved nature of the
problem. Their contention is true.
1t is a complicated and delicate prob
lem. and all kinds of difficulties are
sure to arise in connection with any
plan of solution, while no plan will
bring all the benefits hoped for by
its more optimistic adherentS. More
over, under any healthy plan. the ben
efits will develop gradually and not
rapidly. Finally, we must clearly I'M
derstand that the public servants who
are to do this peculiarly responsible
and delicate work must themselves be
of the highest type both as regards
integrity and efficiency. They must
be well paid. for otherwise able men
cannot in the long run be secured;
and they must possess a lofty probity
which will revolt as quickly at the
thought of pandering to any gust of
popular prejudice against rich men as
at the thought of anything even re-
motely resembling subserviency to
rich men. But while I fully admit the
difficulties in the way, I do not for
a moment admit that these difficulties
warrant us in stopping in our effort
to secure a wise and just system.
They should have no other effect than
to spur us on to the exercise of the
resolution. the even-handed justice,
and the fertility of resource. which
we like to think of as typically Amer
lean, and which will in the end achieve
good results in this as in other fields
Of activity. The task is a great one
and underlies the task of dealing with
the whole industrial problem. But the
fact that it is a great problem does
not warrant us in shrinking from the
attempt to solve 1t. 1t present we
face such utter lack of supervision,
such freedom from the restraints of
law, that excellent men have often
been literally forced into doing what
they deplored because otherwise they
were left at the mercy of unscrupu-
lous competitors. To rail at and as
sail the men who have done as they
best could under such conditions ac-
complishes little. What we need to do
is to develop an orderly system: and
such a system can only come through
the gradually increased exercise of the
RIGHT of efficient government control.
The president asks for legislation COM
polling railroads to install block systems on
their lines, and also calls the attention of
congress to the excessive hours of labor
of train service employees of the railroad
companies are often subjected to. He rec
ON mpOdS that q commission he opDOinte0
to study of employers liability with the OBJ
iect of the enactment of a law covering the
subject and applicable to all industries
within the scope of the federal power.
The Labor Question.
The labor question is treated Of at con-
siderable length, and in this connection the
president says:
There has been demand for deprivine
courts of the power to issue injunctions
In labor disputes. Such special limita'
ton of the equity powers of our courts
would he most uuwise. 1t is true thai
some Judges have misused this power
but this does not justify a denial OF ths
mower any more than an improper exer'
else of the power to call a strike by 6
labor leader would justify the denial OF
the right to strike. The remedy Is tt
regulate the procedure by requiring thu
1ll0RG 10 give uuC holiAS w SAS 1NSA
: parties before granting the writ, the hear
, ing to be ex parte if the adverse party
does not appear at the time and place
ordered. What is due notice must depend
unon the facts of the case; 1t should no
r be used as a pretext TO permit violation
, of law, or the jeopardizing of life Of
r property. or course this would not au
= thorize the issuing of a restraining orde'
e or injunction in any case in which 1t !
| not already authorized by existing law.
$ I renew the recommendation l mad
r in my last annual message for an in
: vsstigation by the department of com
t MERGE and labor of general labor condi
t tions, especial attention to be paid to tn
conditions of child labor and child labo
legislation in the several states. Sucl
an investigation should take into accoun
: the various problems with which tn
I question of child labor is connected. I
is true that these problems can be actu
!. ally met in most cases only by the state
q themselves, but it would be well for tn
II nation to endeavor to secure and publisl
II comprehensive information as to the con
q ditions of the labor of children in the diff
e ferent states, so as to spur up those tina
q are behindhand, and to secure approx
imately uniform legislation of a hig
character among the several states. 1
such a republic as ours the one thin
that we cannot afford 10 neglect Is tn
problem of turning out decent citizen.
n The future of the nation depends upo
the citizenship of the generations t
come; the children of to-day are thos
y who tomorrow will shape the destin
y of our land, and we cannot afford to neg
lect them. The legislature of Colorad
n has recommended that the national gov
ernment provide some general measur
for the protection from abuse of childre
y and dumb animals throughout the Unite
States. I lay the matter before you fc
what I trust will be your favorable cor
sideration.
The department of m and lact
' should also make a thorough investige
~ ton of the conditions of women In II
y dustry. Over 5000, 900 American wome
u are now engaged in gainful occupation.
~ vet there Is an almost complete deart