Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-03
States Delegation in Congress
to Make Aggressive Fight to
Bring About Reforms
DEAL WITH LABOR AND CAPITAL
Congress to be Urged to Adopt Child
Labor Law Similar to That Of Iowa
Board of Arbitration to Settle Dis
putes Between Employers and Skill
cd Labor.
Special to .Times-Republican.

washington during the COHllHS Wliitet
Iowa members of congress are quite
| prepared to take aggressive positions
in regard to some of these matters
which in the state have been given
much consideration and which the
leaders of conservative reform In the
| state believe should be taken up by
| the nation at large. These two Iowa
ideas" relate to labor questions-the
! relation Of capital to child labor and
the relation Of capital to skilled labor.
| Iowa has been foremost among the
states, especially of the middle west,
in taking up these subjects seriously.
The child labor question has long
been studied by the clubs of working
men and women in the state and about
five or six years ago an active cam
paign was commenced for restrictive
legislation. The Twenty ninth gen.
eral assembly refused to bother with
the subject. Governor Cummins strong
ly urged upon the Thirtieth general
assembly the passage OF fine child
labor bill. A number Of old fogies
killed it off. Then the Thirty first
general assembly was appealed to and
the governor in his message devoted a
good deal of space to the subject, de-
claring that among those who have
given the most careful thought to So
cial problems, and among those who
have given and are giving the best
part Of their lives to help their fellow
men, there is no difference Of opinion
respecting the necessity of law which
shall regulate the. employment of child
rem" He pointed out the general prin-
ciples which should guide the franz
ing Of such law. The bill prepared
| and pushed thru by Representative
Cummings, of Marshall county, in the
Thirtieth general assembly, formed the
! basis of the present law, which is
said to be the best child labor law ever
placed upon any state statute book at
the beginning Of such legislation.
It is learned that some Of the Iowa
members of congress stand ready to
urge upon congress law very similar
to that now in 10y. / to apply to the
District of Columbia and possibly to
the territories.
The twin Iowa idea" in regard to Ia
Dor matters goes directly to the pre-
VI ntion of spasmodic and periodic war
fare between employers and employees,
and it has not been crystallized into
law in Iowa largely because the neces-
sity for it is perhaps much less here
than in the most Of the states Of the
/, Il,,tf To, ha%
lie sentiment is far advanced in Iowa
in the direction of the creation Of
boards of arbitration and Irregular
conciliatory tribunals to deal with la
Dor disputes. In the vast two or three
legislatures bills having the purpose of
[creating such boards have been we'll
received. A good deal of thought has
been given to their preparation and it
is quite probable that the coming win-
ter there will be some definite legisla-
ton on the subject. 1t is recalled that
in this matter there was exhaustive
treatment in the first inaugural address
of Governor Cummins. He took ground
that the solution of the vexatious cor
poration problem must come thru ma
tionalization of corporations, and that
the labor questions must also have ma
tional treatment. He said:
1T is altogether natural that the en-
ployer reaches conclusion different
from that of the employe. The ac-
cumulated and aggregated wealth or
dinarily represented by the employer
gives him a palpable advantage in the
contest and the employee long ago dis
covered that associated labor was nee
essary to deal with associated capital,
and the tendency toward organized Ia
Dor is as marked and will probably be
as enduring as the tendency toward
organized wealth. The collision between
these forces in society not only dis
turbs the peace Of Industrial pursuits,
but is so destructive that the. student.
of affairs IS constantly looking for
some plan thru which agreements, fair
to both sides, may be effected. l thor
oughly believe that the government
problem, and I am equally convinced
that it cannot effectually do SO until
we nationalize the subject l have no
sympathy with the arraignment of our
institutions because few men have
grown very rich while the great mass
of mankind accumulates but little or
nc thing. l do not believe that the
! laws of the United States and in them
include the laws Of several states, can
be justly charged with either the in
tent or the effect of favoring one man
or class of men at the expense of an
other man or class of men. / may de-
plore the fact that wealth is not more
evenly distributed, but it is neverthe
less true that the starting inequalities
of life must be imputed to some other
cause than the favor of the govern
ment. Nature endows one man with a
genius to make and save money, and
denies 1t to another. This power can
no more be equalized than any other
form of superiority in the struggle for
leadership: and he who cavils at the
differences which the world presents,
quarrels with the plans of the AL
mighty.
After further discussions the COVER
nor declared:
1.-The government, as it seems to me,
has at least one duty to perform in
this connection. 1t is vitality interest
ed in seeing TO 1t that the men who
can never rise to the prominence which
will enable them to fully protect them
selves, shall receive that reward for
their labor. and shall be surrounded
by such conditions. as will make them
good citizens. I believe that the pow
er which wealth bestows ought some
times to be checked: and, thru wise