Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1906-12-15

tTOQuctlOn Oh III SlEnt-HOuT udys Dut III
sists that on the Isthmus of Panama the
conditions are SO different from what
they are here that the introduction of an
absurd, and continues, ''just about as alb
surd IL Is, so far as the isthmus Is
concerned. where white labor cannot be
employed TO bother as TO whether the
work Is done by alien black men or alien
yellow men,"
Investigation OF Disputes.
He urges the enactment OF drastic
child labor law for the District of co.
lumbia and the territories, and federal
investigation OF the subject OF child ana
female labor throughout the country.
He reviews the work OF the commission
appointed to investigate labor conditons
In the coal fields of Pennsylvania in 1902,
and refers TO the wish of the commission
that the state and federal ovsrnments
should provide the machinery , for What
may be called the compulsory inVestga-
ton of controversies between employers
and employees when they ariAe;" After
referring to the fact that bill has al
ready been introduced to this end he
says:
''Many of these strikes and loc<outs
would not have occurred had the parties
to the dispute been required to appear
before an unprecedented body representing
the nation and. face 10 face, state the
instances the dispute would doubtless be
found TO be due TO b misunderstanding
by each of the others rights, aggravated
by an unwillingness of either party to ac-
cept as true the statements of the other
as to the Justice or injustice of the mat
ters in dispute. The exercise of 1n.
representing the federal government,
such as would be provided by commits
sion. on Cancellation and arbitration
would tend to create atmosphere OF
friendiness and Cancellation between con-
tending parties; and the giving each side
an equal opportunity to present fully It's
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 conmls-
sion to persuade the opposing parties TO
come To terms.
I'm This age of great corporate and Ia
Dor combinations, neither employers nor
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 an many
strikes the public has itself an interest
which cannot wisely be disregarded; an
fence, for the question of a just ana
proper public policy must also be con-
sidered. In all legislation of TINS kind
it is we'll to advance cautiously, testing
each step by the actual results; the step
proposed can surely be safely taken, Tor
the decisions of the commission wouid QUO
yet would give a chance for pubic opin,,
ion to exert its full force for tie 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, ana
says that all of these have already JUST
fed their enactment, but recommends
the amendment of the meat inspection
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:
at cannot too often be repeated thss ex-
perience has conclusively shown the nm ns
possibility of securing by the actions OF
nearly half hundred different state
legislatures anything oe but T Mts tSe
great corporations which do not operate
exclusively within the limitu q any one
state. In some method, whether py
national license law or in other fasnioh;
we must exercise. and that at an early
date, far more complete control thah
at present over these great r cor ppfher
things prevent the evils OF excessive
overcapitalzation. and that VIII comPei
Of its stockholders and of its properties
and business, whether ownec olrectly of
thru subsidiary or affiliated corporations.
This will teld to put stop to the securi
individuals at the expense Whether OF
the general public. the stockholders, or
not SO much to prevent consolidation as
such, but so to supervise and control IL
as to see that II results in no marin 10
the people. The reactionary or ultracons
seryative apologists for the misuse OF
wealth assail the effort to secure such
control as step toward socialism. AS q
matter OF fact il is these reactionarles
and ultraconservatives who are them
selves most potent in increasing soclals-
tic feeling. One of the most efnclenss
methods of averting the consequences OF
n dangerous agitation, which is oV per
| cent. wrong, is to remedy the 20 per cent;
| of evil as to which the agitatlCn is Wen
loI he hos rrraU n
undesirable move for the governmental
ownership of railways Is to secure 1y
! the government on behalt or the peoPise
| as whole such adequate control ana
| regulation of the great interstate COM
| mon carriers as will do away with the
evils which give rise to the agIt t9dnth
to the dangerous and wicked a9tatlon
against the men of wealth as such is TO
secure by proper ieHisim uon d ihe Grave
| abuses which actually do obtain N con-
| nection with the business use OF wealth.
under our present system-or rather no
| svstem-of failure to exercise any ade-
| quate control at all. Some persons speak
| as If the exercise of such governmental
| control would do away with the freedom
| of Individual initiative and dwarf indi-
| vidual effort. This is not tact. IL
| would be veritable calamity 70 ran 10
| put a premium upon Individual inltlatlye,
! individual capacity and effort; upon, the
| energy character and foresight when
| it is so important to encourage IN the
I
| deadening and degrading effect OF pure
| socialism, and especially OF It's 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 rising at the expense of all others
| until his or it's rise effectually checks all
| competition and reduces former compet,
| tors to position Of utter inferiority ana
\ subordination. -,
''In enacting and enforcing such legis-
iation as this congress already has TO It's
| credit we are working on a coherent
| plan, with the steady endeavor TO secure
| the needed reform by the joint action OF
the moderate men, the plain men who
| do not wish anything hysterlcal or
| dangerous, but who do Intend TO deal
| in resolute commonsense fashion with
| tho real and great evils OF the present
| system. The reactionaries and the vio-
| lent extremists show symptoms or JOIN
| ing hands against US. Both assert, Tor
| 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 discontent
| and agitation than to achieve SOLID re-
| suits. AS a matter of fact. our position
| is as remote from that OF the pourpon
! reactionary as from that OF the imprac.
| ticable or sinister visionary. We hold
| that the government should not conuuc!
/