The Globe-republican., 1906-12-06

or lADors with ~ goal the general II
production Of an eight-hour day. but In
lion. On ar. :h' 'thss Sf fsm e
they are here thai the Introduction Of a
eght-hour day on the canal would b
absurd. and continues, ''just about as ab
surd as 1t is, SO far as the isthmus
concerned, where white labor cannot b
employed, to bother as to whether tn
work Is done by alien black men or allie
Investigation Of Disputes.
He urges the enactment OF a drasti
child labor law for the District of Co
lumbia and the territories, and fedora
investigation Of the subject of child ant
He reviews the work of the commission
appointed to investigate labor conditions
In the coal fields Of Pennsylvania In 1902
and refers to the wish OF the commission
that the state and federal governments
should provide the machinery for Wha
may be called the compulsory investiga'
ton of controversies between employers
and employees when they arise" After
referring to the fact that a bill has al
ready been introduced to this end he
says;
would not have occurred had the parties
to the dispute been required to appear
before an unprecedented body representing
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 misunderstanding
by each of the others rights, aggravated
by an unwllingness of either party to ac-
as to the justice or injustice If the mat
ters in dispute. The exercise OF e. Ju-
dicial spirit by disinterested body
representing the federal government
such as would be provided BY a commits
sion on Cancellation and arbitration
friendliness 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 commits
sion to persuade the opposing parties to
come to terms.
I'm 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 q dis
pute, regardless Of the Righteousness Of
heir respective claims The proposed
Of the fact that In many
strikes the public has itself an interest
Which cannot wisely be disregarded; an
interest not merely Of general conven--
ence, for the question Of a Just and
proper public policy must also be, CON
'idered. In all legislation, of this kind
I Is well to advance cautiously, testing
zach step by the actual results: the step
proposed can surely be safely taken, for
he decisions of the commission would
lot bind the parties In legal fashion. and
ret would give a chance for public .opin--
on to exert its full force for the right"
Control Of CORPORATIONS.
A considerable portion. Of the, message
rol of corporations In what he refers to
he passage at the last session OF the
ate, meat inspection and food laws, and
avs that all Of these have already justi-
ed their enactment, but recommends
he amendment of the meat inspection
Nv so as to put dates on the labels OF
heat products, and also to place the
ost of inspection on the packers rather
nan on the government. Continuing on
his subject OF the control OF corporations
y the federal government he says:
at cannot too often be repeated that ex-
erence has conclusively shown the i'm
disability of securing by the actions of
gislatures anything but ineffective
laos In the way OF dealing with the |
reat corporations which do not operate |
Sclusively within the limits Of any one |
ate. In some method, whether by |
ational license law or In other fashion, |
e must exercise, and that at an early |
ate, far more complete control than
present over these great corpora
ons-a control that will among other |
lings prevent the evils OF excessive |
disqualification, and that will compel
e disclosures by each big corporation |
its stockholders and OF its properties
Id business, whether owned directly or
ru subsidiary or affiliated corporations.
his will tend to put stop to the secur--
& of inordinate profits by favored
dividuals at the expense whether OF
e general public, the stockholders, or
10 wageworkers Our effort should be
1t so much to prevent consolidation as
Ich, but so to supervise and control IT
to see that II results In no harm to
70 people. The reactionary or ultracon-
rvative apologists for the misuse OF
ealth assail the effort to secure such
'ntrol as step toward socialism. AS
after OF fact 1t is these reactionaries
Ives most potent In increasing socialis-
, feeling. One OF the most efficient
ethods OF averting the consequences OF
dangerous agitation, which is 81 per
Mt. wrong. Is to remedy the 20 per cent
evil as to which the agitation Is well
unded. The best way to avert the very
desirable move for the governmental
of railways Is to secure by
Q government on behalf OF the people
a whole such adequate control and
gulation of the great interstate com
on carriers as will do away with the
lis which give rise to the agitation
.ainst them. So the proper antidote
4 the dangerous and wicked agitation
.ainst the men Of wealth as such Is to
cure by proper legislation and execu-
ie action the abolition of the grave
uses which actually do obtain In con-
ction with the business use OF wealth
der. our present system-or rather no
sterr-of failure to. exercise any ade-
Iate control at all. Some persons speak
II the exercise OF such governmental
ntrol would do away with the freedom
Individual initiative and dwarf indi,
dual effort This is not a fact. IL
ould be vsritable calamity to fail to
4 a premium upon individual Initiative, 4
divldual CAPACITY and sfl9r 1,at upon ,, me
Is so important to- encourage in the
dipidual. But as matter Of fact the
Adening and degrading effect of pure A
cialisfr, and especially Of its extreme
rrn communism, and the distractions Of
ilyidual character which they would
Jolly sunregulatad competition which
suits IN a single Individual or corpor-
lon rising at the expense Of all others
Ill his or its rise effectuafly checks all
mpetition and reduces former cofhpeti-
IS to q position Of utter inferiority and
bordination.
In enacting and enforcing such legis-
don as this congress already has to Its
sdt, we are working on a coherent |
IN, with tho steady endeavor to secure 1
needed reform by the joint action Of
. moderate men, the plain men who
! not wishA anything historical or
ngerops, but who do Intend to deal
! resoiute commonsense fashion with 4
B real and great evils Of the present
stem. The reactonaries and the vio-
il extremists show symptoms. Of join
,tafice, that II logical, we should 60
government, ownership Of railroads
d the ike; the reactionaries, because
such an Issue they think the people
'uld stand with them, while, the ex-
,tmists care I'd ther to preach discomfort
d agitation than to achieve solid re-
IL. AS a matter OF fact, our position
as remote from that OF the bourbon
~ from that NJ thA tfnDrap- |