The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1906-12-04

rors lncident 70 the employment 0f
young children IN factories or at work
anywhere are o blot on our civiliza-
! tion. IL is true that each state fnusa
ultimately settle the question ia its
own way; but a thor0 0nicfal fuvaMti-
cation OF the matter, with the raaulFM
/ published broadcast would greatly
help toward arouslng the public con-
setIne seleInee "a ana a. securing unity q stats
ever, one law on the subject which
should be enacted Immediately. hm~
cause there Il no need for an invests
cation IN reference thereto. and tho
failure TO enact IL Is dlecreditable to
the. national government A drastic
and thorogoing child-iapor lay should
bia and the territories.
EmpIoyers Liability.
Among the excellent laws which the
congress past at the last session was
a employers liability law. II was
ogniton Of employers liability on tho
statute books but the law did not 60
FAR enough In spite Of all precau-
tions exercised by employers there are
unavoidable accidents and even deaths
involved in nearly every line OF BUSH
ness connected with the mechanic arts.
This inevitable sacrifice OF life may be
reduced 20 q minimum, but Il cannot
be completely eliminated. 1T is a great
social injustice to compel the employee
or rather the family Of the killed err
disabled victim. to bear the entire bur-
den Of an inevitable sacrlfice. In other
words. society shirks liz duty by laying
the whole cost on the victim, whereas
the injury comes from what may bel
called the legitimate risks OF trade
Compensation for accidents or deaths
due in any line of industry to the actual
conditions under which that industry isl
carried on should be paid by that por-
tion OF the community for the beneat
or which the industry is carried on
that is, by. those who profit by the in-
dustry II the entire trade risk IL
placed upon the employer no will
promptly and properly add it to the
legitimate cost OF production and as
sumers OF his commodity It Is there
fore clear to my mind that the law
should place this entire risk OF =
trade upon the employer. Neither the
federal law nor as FAR as | am in
formed, the state laws dealing with
the question Of employers liability are
sutiieiently thorogoing. The federal
ployees in navy-yards. arsenals and
the like.
Investigation OF Disputes.
The commission appointed BY the presi-
dent October l6, 1902 at the request Of
miners to inquire into, consider, and pass
upon the question in controversy ~ con-
necton with the strike Ia the anthracite
regions OF Pennsylvania and the causes,
out OF which the controversy arose, IN
their report, findings, and award exprest
the belief that the state and federal
governments ShOulO PROVIDE the ma
chinery for what may be called the COM
pulsory investigation OF controversies be-
tween employers and employees when
they arise" This expression Of belief
Is deserving Of the favorable considera~
ton OF the congress and the enactment
OF its provisions into law bill has
already been introduced to this end.
Records show that during the 20
years from January /. 1881, to December
81, 1900, there We're strikes affecting llI~
500 establishments, and 6l05,e94 employees
At4f ~
ing the same period there We're 1908
lockOuts involving nearly lQ,0ol estab-
lishments, throwing over 100000 people
out Of employment These strikes and
lOckouts involved AN estimated loss to
employees Of SS07 1900 and 20 employers
OF $l43 100000, total Of $3.50 900 900. The
public suffered directly and indirectly
probably as great additional loss But
the money loss, great as it was. did not
measure the anguish ana suffering en-
dured by the wives and children OF em-
ployees whose pay stopt when their
work stopt, or the disastrous effect of
the strike or lockout upon the business
Of employers, or the increase in the cost
Of products and the Inconvenience and
loss to the public.
Many Of these strikes and lockouts
would not have occurred had tbs parties
to the dispute been required to appear
before an unprejudiced body representing
the nation and, face to face state the
reasons for their contention. AZ most
instances the dispute would doubtless bo
found to be due to a Misunderstanding
by each OF the others rights. aggravated
by an unwillingness Of either party to ae-
cept as true the statements OF the other
as to the justice or injustice Of the mat~
tera In dispute. The exercise of a ju-
dicial spirit by disinterested body
such as would be provided BY commls-
sion on conciliation and arbitration
would. tend to create an atmosphere Of
frendlfness and Cancellation between con-
tending parties and the giving each side
an equal opportunity to present fully itn
case In the presence OF the other would
prevent many disputes from developing
into serious strikes or lockouts. and In
other cases, would enable the commits
sion to persuade the opposing parties to
come to TERMS
In this age az great corporate and Ia
Dor combinations, neither employers nor
employees should be left completely az
the mercy OF the stronger party to . dis
their respective claims. The proposed
measure would bc In the line or securing
recognition Of the fact that In many
strikes tho public has itself On interest
which cannot wisely be disregarded: an
interest not merely Of general conven-
ience, for the question OF a just and
proper public policy must also be con-
sidered. In all legislation OF this kind
II Us well to advance cautiously, testing
each step by the actual results; the step
proposed can surely be safely taken for
the decisions Of the commission would
not bind the parties IN legal fashion, and
yet would give chance for public opin~
ION 20 exert us Iuil loFce LOf Nn1 flbHts
Withdrawal OF Coal Lands.
It Is not wise that the nation should
ALLEVIATE its remaining coal lands.
have temporarily Withdrawn from settle
ment all the lands which the geological
survey has indicated as containing, or IN
all probability containing coal. The
question, however, can lie properly set
tied only by legislation, which IN my
judgment should provide for the with
draWal Of these lands from sale or from
entry, save In certain especial circum-
stances. The ownership would then
remain IN the United States, which
should not, however. attempt TO work
them, but permit them to be worked BY
private individuals under a royalty sys-
tenn, the government keeping such
control a. to permit II 10 see that no
excessive price was charged consumers.
II would Of course be as necessary to
supervise the rates charged by the com-
mon carriers 20 transport the product as
the rates charged BY those who mine ia
and the supervision must extend to the
conduct OF the common carriers. 50 that
they shall In no way favor one comped-
tor At the expense OF another. The Vita
drawal Of these coal lands would consu~
tute policy analogous to that which has
been followed In Withdrawing the f0reat
lands from ordinary settlement. Tha
coal, like the forests, should be treated
as the property OF the public and It's dia-
posal should be under conditions which
would inure TO the beneht OF the public