The Glenwood post., 1906-12-08

sists that on the Isthmus OF Panama the
Ses ars tse Of an
absurd. and continues. Just about as alb
concerned. where white labor cannot be
employed, to bother to whether the
work Is done by alien black men or alien
yellow men,"
Investigation Of Disputes.
HI, He urges the enactment Of a drastic Or site
lumbia and the territories. and federai
investigation of the subject of child and
female labor the
appointed to investigate labor conditions
in the coal fields of Pennsylvania in 1goz,
and refers to the wish of the commission
that the state and federal governments
should provide the machinery for what
may be called the compulsory investiga-
and employees when they arise. AFTER
referring to the fact that bill has al
ready been introduced to this end he
says:
Many of these strikes and lockouts
would not have occurred had the parues
before an unprejudiced body representing
the nation and, face to face. state the
reasons for their contention. In most
found to be due to a misunderstanding
by each Of the others rights. aggravated
by an unwiilingness Of either party to &C
ters in dispute. The exercise OF ju-
,p5t Sy
such As would be provided BY commits
sion on conciliation and arbitration
would tend to create an atmosphere ,0 OF
tending parties: and the giving each side
an equal opportunity to present fully It's
prevent many disputes from developing
into serious strikes or lockouts. and In
other cases. would enable the commits
come to terms
"In this age OF sreat corporate and la
Dor combinations. neither employers nor
the mercy of the stronger party to a 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 Which, cannot mn Wisely be disregaroe1 an
ience. for the question OF a Just and
proper proper, public policy must also % be con- con,
it is well to advance cautiously. testing
each step by the actual results; the step
proposed can surely be safely taken. for
not bind the parties in legal fashion. and
yet would give chance for public opin,.
Control Of Corporations.
A considerable portion Of the message
Is devoted to the subject of federal con-
trOl or corporations IN ~nat ne TeIers 10
the passage at the last. session Of the
rate, meat inspection and food laws, and
says that all of these have already justi-
the amendment OF the meat inspection
law so as to put dates on the labels OF
meat products. and also to- place the
than on the government, Continuing on
this subject of the control OF corporations
by the federal government he says:
"It cannot too often be repeated that ex-
perience has conclusively shown the I'M.
possibility OF securing by the actions of
nearly half hundred different state
chaos in the way OF dealing with the
great corporations which do not operate
state. In some method. whether by a
national license law or in other fashion,
we must exercise. and that at an early
at at present mt over over these great corpora
tions-a control that will among other
things preventssthe evils of excessive
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 will tend to put a stop to the secur-
ing, OF inordinate profits by favored
the le'' general ; p public. @ the stockhoiders, or
the wageworkers. Our effort should be
not so much to prevent consolidation as
as to see that 1t results in no harm to
the people. The reactionary or ultracon-
servatiye apologists for the misuse OF
wealth assail the effort to secure such
control a step toward socialism. As
matter of fact it is these reactionaries
and ultraconservatives who are them
selves most potent in increasing socialis-
tic feeling. One of the most efficient
methods OF averting the consequences of
a dangerous agitation. which Is so per
OF evil as to which the agitation Is wei
founded. The best way to avert the very
nwnRTShin
the government on behalf of the people
whole such adequate control and
mon a carriers rs as ' viii do away with the
evils which give rise to the agitation
against them. So the proper antiaote li,,Se
against the men of wealth as such is to
secure by proper legislation and execu-
tive action the abolition Of the grave
nection with the business use OF wealth
under our present system-or rather no
auate control at ALL Some persons speak
II the exercise of such governmental
control would do away with the freedom
of Individual initiative and dwarf ind,
vidual effort. This is not fact Il
would be a veritable calamity to fail to
put a premium upon individual initiative,
energy. character and foresight which
1t is so important to encourage In the
individual. But as matter OF fact the
socialism, and especially of Its extreme
form communism. and the destruction OF
individual character which they would
bring about. are in part achieved by The
wholly unregulated competition which
results in single individual or corpor-
alton Esing at the expense of all others
until his or its rise effectually checks all
competition and reduces former compet-
tors to position of utter inferiority and
subordnation.
I'm enacting and enforcing such legis-
lation as this congress already has to Its
credit, we are working on coherent
plan. with the steady endeayor to secure
the needed reform by the joint action of
the moderate mei,. the plain men who
do not wish anything hysterical or
dangerous. but who do intend to deal
In resolute commonsense fashion with
the real and great evils of the present
system. The reactionaries and the vio-
lent extremists show symptoms of join
ing hands against us. Both assert, for
instance. that If logical. we should go
to government ownership of railroads
and the like; the reactionaries, because
on such an issue they think the people
would stand with them. while the ex-
tremists care rather to preach discomfort
and agitation than to achieve solid re-
suits. AS a matter of fact. our position
is as remote from that of the bourbon
from that Of the imDrac-