Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-12-13

compulsory investigator OF OntrO:erSleS
between employers and employees when
they arise. This expression of belief is
deserving of the Favorable consideration
of the. congress and the enactment OF It's
provisions into law. y bill has already
been introduced to this end.
Records show that during tho twenty
81. 1900. there were strikes affecting l17.-
500 establishments ami 6.loJ. 69i employees
the saInc period there were 1905 lockolis.
involving nearly 1900 establishments.
throwing over 100000 people out of en-
ployment.
Many of these strikes and lockouts
would not have occurred had the parties
to the dispute been required TO appear be
fore an unprecedented body representing
the nation. face 20 face. state the reasons
for their contention. In most instances
the dispute would doubtless he found to
be due to Il misunderstanding by each
of The others rights. aggravated by an
unwillingncss of either party to accept as
true the statements of IN. other as TO the
justice or injustice OF the matters in dis
putc.
The exercise of Il judicial spirit by a dis
interested body representing the federal
government. such as would be provided
by a commission on concilation and arbi-
pherc of friendliness and concilation be
tween contending 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 de-
Nelopins into serious strikes or lockouts.
and. in other cases, would enable the COM
go OllOSh'o
TO come TO terms.
In this age of great corporate and labor
combinations neither employers nor en-
ployes should be left completely at the
mercy of the stronger party to a dispute.
regardless of the righteousness of their
respective claims. The proposed measure
would be in the line of securing recogni-
ton of me fact that in many strikes the
public has itself an interest which can
not wisely be dfsregarded; an interest not
merely of general convenience. for the
question of a just and proper public policy
must also be considered.
Coal Land Withdrawal.
IT is not wise that the nation should
alternate its remaining coal lands. l have
temporarily withdrawn from settlement
all the lands which the geological survey
has hhi,, INDICATED as containing, r or in all prob
however, can be properly settled only by
legislation. which in my judgment should
from sale or from entry, save in certain
especial circumstances. The ownership
would then remain in the United States,
which should not. however, attempt to
work them, but permit them to be worked
by private individuals under a royalty
system. the government keeping such con-
troll as to permit 1T to see that no excess
sivc price. was charged consumers.
1t would. of course. be as necessary to
supervise the rates charged by the COM
mon carriers to transport the product az
the rates charged by those who mine 1t:
and the supervision must extend to the
conduct of the common carriers, so that
they shall in no way favor one competitor
at the expense of another. The with
drawal of these coal lands would consti-
been followed in withdra wing the forest
lands from ordinary settlement. The coal,
like the forest. should be treated as the
property of the public and its disposal
should be under conditions which would
inure to the benefit OF the public as a
whole.
Corporations.
The present congress has taken long
strides in the direction of securing proper
supervision and control by the national
government over corporations engaged in
Interstate business and the enormous
majority of corporations of amy size are
engaged in interstate business.
The passage of the railway rate bill, and
only to a less degree the passage of the
pure food bill, and the provision for in
creasing and rendering more effective ma
dustry. mark an important advance in
the proper direction. In the short session
it will perhaps be difficult TO do much
further along this line: and 1t may be
best to wait until the laws have been In
operation for a number Of months before
endeavoring to increase their scope.
During the last five months the rail-
roads have shown increased earnings and
some Of them unusual dividends: while
during the same period the mere taking
effect of the law has produced an unprc-
ccdented. a hitherto unheard of. number
Of ro voluntary Luz tar lean "dl in freights and
of the commission there has never been
a time of equal length in which anything
IKE SO n any reduced tariffs have been
put into effect. On August q. for instance.
two days before the new law Went into
effect. the commission received notices of
over $500 separate tariffs which represent
ed reductions from previous rates.
1t must not be supposed, however. that
with the passage of these laws it will be
possible to stop progress along the line of
increasing the power of the national gov
eminent ever the use of capital in inter
state commerce. For example. there will
ultimately be need OF enlargine The pow
erS of the interstate commerce commits
sion along several different lines. so as to
give 1t a larger and more efficient control
over the railroads..
1t can not too Otter be repeated that
experience has conclusively shown the i'm
possibility of securing by the actions of
nearly half a hundred different state lceis-
latures anything but ineffective chaos i'll
the way of dealing with the great corpor-
atoms which do not operate exclusively
In some method, whether by a national
license law or in other fashion. we mist
exercise. and that AT an early date. a far
more complete control than at present
over these great corporations-a control
that will among Other things prevent the
evils of excessive DISQUALIFICATION, and
tina will compel the disclosure by each
big corporation of It's stockholders and of
its properties and bus ness. whether own
ed directly or through subsidiary or affi-
lated corporations.
The actual workifs OF our laws has
shown that the effort TO ~prohibi, all com
bination, good or bad; is noxious whore
1t is not ineffective. Combinations OF cap
ital like combination Of labor is "a necee-
sary element of our present industrial
system.
1t is not possible completely to prevent
it: and If 1t were possible. such complete
prevention would do damage to the body
polite.
prevent all combination. but to secure such
rigorous and adequate control and super
vision of the combinations as to prevent
their inJurtnS the public.
Two Taxes