The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1906-1908, 1906-12-07


the very wealthy. II we ever let this
government fail into the hands Of men
of either OF these two classes we snail
show ourselves false to Americas past.
Moreover, the demagog and cOrrup-
Zionist often work hand In hand There,
are at this moment wealthy reaction
aries OF such obtuse morality that they
regard the public servant who prose-
cutes them when they violate the law
or who seeks to make them bear their
proper share Of the public burdens as
being even more objectionable than
the violent agitator who hounds on
the mob to plumber the rich. There Is
nothing 10 choose between such a re-
dictionary and such an agitator. funda-
mentally they are alike In their selfish
disregard OF the rights OF others; and
IL is natural that they should join in
opposition to any movement or which
the aim Is fearlessly to do exact and
even Justice to all"
Railroad Employees Hours.
He asks for the passing OF the bill linz
iting the number of hours of
employment OF railroad employees, and
classes the measure as a very moderate
one. He says the aim of all should be
TO steadily reduce the number of hours
Of labor, with as a goal the general in
PRODUCTION of an eight-hour day but in
sists that on the Isthmus OF Panama the
conditions are so different from what
they are here that the Introduction Of an
elght-hour day on the canal would be
absurd, and continues, Just about as alb
surd as u Is, so far as the isthmus is
concerned, where white labor scannOt be
employed, to. bother as to whether the
Work Is done by alien black men or alien
yellow men"
He urges the enactment OF a drastic
child labor law for the District OF Co
lumbia and the territories and a federal
investigation of the subject OF child and
female labor throughout the country
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 tire commission
that the state and federal governments
should provide the machinery for what
may be called the compulsory investiga-
ton OF controversies between employers
and employees when they arise
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 dis.
pute, regardless of the righteousness Of
their respective claims. The proposed
measure would be in the line Of securing
recognition of the fact that in many
strikes the public has itself an interest
which cannot wisely be disregarded; an
interest not merely of general eonven-
ience, for the question of q Just and
sldered. In all legislation of this kind
II 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 commission would
not bind the parties in legal fashion, and
yet would give a chance for public opin-
Ion TO exert its full force for the right
Control Of Corporations.
A. considerable portion of the message
Is devoted to the subject of federal con-
troll of corporations in what he refers to
the passage at the last session of the
rate, meat inspection and food laws and
says that all of these have already justi-
ned their enactment, but recommends
law so AS to put dates on the labels of
meat products, and also to- place the
cost OF inspection on the packers rather
than on the government. Continuing on
this subject of the control of corporations
by the federal government he says:
1T cannot too often be repeated that eX-
perience has conclusively shown the inn
possibility of securing by the actions of
nearly half hundred different state
legislatures anything but ineffective
chaos In the way of dealing with the
exclusively within the limits of any one
state In some method, whether by
national license law or in other fashion,
we must exercise, and that at an early
date, far more complete control than
at present over these great corpora
tions-a control that viii among other
overcapitalization, and that will compel
the disclosures by each big corporation
of its stockholders and of its properties
and business, whether owned directly or
thru subsidiary or affiliated corporations.
This VIII tend to put stop to the seeur-
ing of inordinate profits by favored
individuals at the expense whether Of
the general public, the stockholders, or
the wageworkers. Our effort should be
not so much to prevent consolidation as
such, but so to supervise and control II
as TO see that it results In no harm to
the people. The reactionary or ultracon-
sentative apologists for the misuse of
wealth assail the effort to secure such
control as step toward socialism as
matter OF fact 1t Is these reactionarles
and ultraconservatives who are them
selves most potent in Increasing soclals-
tic feeling. One of the most efficient
methods of averting the consequences of
dangerous agitation, which is 50 per
cent wrong, Is to remedy the 20 per cent.
OF evil as to which the agitation is well
founded. The best way to avert the very
undesirable move for the governmental
ownership of railways Is to secure by
the government on behalf OF the people
as whole such adequate control and
regulation of the great Interstate COM
mon carriers as will do away with the
evils which give rise to the agitation
against them, So the proper antidote
to the dangerous and wicked agitation
against the men of wealth as such is TO
secure by proper legislation and execu-
tive action the abolition of the grave
abuses which actually do obtain in con
necton with the business use of wealth
under our present system-or rather no
system-of failure to exercise any ade-
quate control at all. Some persons speak
as II the exercise of such governmental
control would do away with the freedom
of individual initiative and dwarf indi-
vidual effort, This is not fact. 1t
would be veritable calamity to fail to
put a premium upon individual initiative.
Individual capacity and effort; upon the
energy, character and foresight which
i Is so important to encourage In the
individual. But as matter of fact the
deadening and degrading effect of pure
socialism, and especially of its extreme
form communism, and the destruction of
bring about, are in part achieved by the
wholly unregulated competition which
results in single individual or corpor-
alton rising at the expense OF all others
until his or lis rise effectually checks all
competition and reduces former COMPETE
tors to a position of utter inferlority and
subordination.
inheritance and income Tax
1t was expected that the president
would refer in some way to his belief
In the necessity for the curbing of enor-
nous fortunes, and he has done so by
recommending legislation for both in
come and an Inheritance tax. He be-
lieyes the government should impose a
graduated Inheritance tax, and. II possi-
BILE, graduated income tax. He says:
II am well aware that such a subject
as this needs long and careful study in
order that the people may become fanlil-
lar with what is proposed to be done.
may clearly see the necessity of proceed
ing with wisdom and self-restraint, and
may make up their minds just how far
they are willing to go in. the matter;
while only trained legislators can work
out the project in necessary detail, But
/ feel that in the near future our nation
al legislators should enact a law provid-
ing for a graduated Inheritance tax by
which a steadily Increasing rate of duty
should be put upon all moneys or other
valuabies coming by gift, bequest, or
devise to any Individual or corporation
1t may be well to make the tax heavy
in proportion as the Individual benefited
Is remote of kin. In any event, Ia my
Judgment the pro rata of the tax should
Increase very heavily with the Increase
OF the amount left to any one individual
after a certain point has been reached
1t Is most desirable to encourage thrift
thrift and ambition is the desire on the
part of the breadwinner to leave his chill
dren well off This object Gamble attained
by making the tax very small on moder-
ate amounts OF property left because
the prime object should be to put a con