Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-06
Is carried on should be paid by that


portion of the community for the ben
@sft Of which the industry is carried
Dn-that is, by those who profit by the
Industry. If the entire trade risk is
placed upon the employer he will
promptly and properly add it to the
legitimate cost of production and as
sess it proportionately upon the con-
sumers of his commodity. 1t is there
fore clear to my mind that the law
should place this entire risk of a
trade" upon the employer. Neither the
federal law nor, as far as 1 am in
formed, the state laws dealing with
the question of employers liability are
sufficiently thoroughgoing. The fed
nral law should of course include en-
aployees in navy yards, arsenals and
the like.
Investigation of Disputes Between
Capital and Labor.
The commission appointed by the
president Oct. 16, 1902, at the request
Of both the anthracite coal operators
and miners, to inquire into, consider
and pass upon the questions in con-
troversy in connection with the strike
In the anthracite regions of Pennsy1-
vania and the causes out Of which the
controversy arose, in their report, find
fngs and award expressed the belief
that the state and federal govern
ments should provide the machinery
for what may be called the compul-
Bory investigation Of controversies be-
tween employers and employees when
they arise" This expression of belief
SIS deserving of the favorable considera-
ton of the congress and the enactment
of its provisions into law. A bill has
already been introduced to this end.
Records show that during the TWEEN
~ years from Jan. 1, 1881, to Dec. 81,
1900, there were strikes affecting Ill.,
900 establishments and 6,105,694 en-
ployees were thrown out OF employ
ment. During the same period there
were 1,O05 lockouts. involving nearly
10000 establishments, throwing over
a million people out of employment
These strikes and lockouts involved an
estimated loss to employees of $3O7,-
100000 and to employers Of $143, O0O,-
600, total of $450,0O0,000. The public
suffered directly and Indirectly prob
ably as great additional loss. But the
money loss, great as it was, did not
measure the anguish and suffering en-
dured by the wives and children Of
employees whose pay stopped when
their work stopped, or the disastrous
effect of the strike or lockout upon the
business of employers, or the increase
in the cost of products and the incon-
venience and loss to the public.
Many of these strikes and lockouts
would not have occurred had the par
ties to the dispute been required to APP
pear before an unprejudiced body rep
iresenting the nation and, face to face
state the reasons for their contention
In most instances the dispute would
doubtless be found to be due to a
misunderstanding by each of the
others rights, aggravated by an I'M
willingness of either party to accept as
true the statements of the other as to
= the justice or injustice of the matters
In dispute. The exercise of a judicial
spirit by a disinterested body repre-
senting the federal government, such
as would be provided by a commission
on Cancellation and arbitration, would
tend to create an atmosphere of friend.
Illness and Cancellation between con.
tending parties, and the giving each
side an equal opportunity to present
fully its 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 commission to persuade the
opposing parties to come to terms.
In this age of great corporate and la
Dor combinations neither employers nor
employees should be left completely at
the mercy of the stronger party to a
dispute regardless of the righteous
ness of their respective claims. The
proposed measure would be in the line
sof securing recognition of the fact that
In many strikes the public has itself an
interest which cannot wisely be disre-
garded-an interest not merely of gem
eral convenience, for the question of a
just and proper public policy must also
ss5e considered. In all legislation of this
Sind it is well to advance cautiously,
testing each step by the actual results.
The step proposed can surely be safely
taken, for the decisions of the commits
sion would not bind the parties in legal
fashion and yet would give a chance
for public opinion to crystalline and
thus to exert it's full force for the right.
Withdrawal of Coal Lands.
Il It is not wise that the nation should
ALLEVIATE its remaining coal lands. 1
have temporarily withdrawn from set
Element all the lands which the geolog-
ical survey has Indicated as containing
or in all probability containing coal.
The question, however, can be proper
" settled only by legislation, which, in
my Judgment, should provide for the
withdrawal of these lands from sale