Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-07-21

pound, which Is payable when the
value is f210000 or exceeds that sum.
We introduced drastic legislation
| governing factories. stipulated for
| proper sanitary conditions and contin-
uous inspection. We fix the number of
hours per week that employees can
work, making heavy fines for viola
/ tons. At first this was opposed by
some employers, but others supported
| il warmly, and every intelligent per-
son recognized that if all factory own
i, ers were put upon the same footing
they had an opportunity of fair compe-
| tItion. The humane employer would
not subject his employees to a sweating
either in pay or hours.
We do not, as a government or as
people, do anything in the direction of
trying to level people down. Our laws
affecting the regeneration of our coun-
! try have gone toward making n purer
and a better condition. Our people
give equal opportunity to all, In every
walk of life. to better their conditions
| without doing 1t at the expense of the
many The laws have been intended
to improve their positions. They are
democrats in the truest sense of the
term
We have extended state ownership
In many other directions. We have
owned the whole of the telegrapnic
and telephone systems ever since the
country has had responsible govern
ment We own the state life insurance
department, which has been a very
great success. The profits are invest
Cd Gov fhe. of fhn in
none of the financial results are in any
way claimed or owned by the govern
ment, and, though there has been the
competition by foreign life companies,
the government life insurance holds IL
per cent of the total amount carried.
We have also established a govern
ment lending department for advanc-
ing money TO settlers. This has low
cred the rates of interest on mortgages.
The department has loaned upward OF
f5,00O,O00 without a single loss. We
have Il government postoffice savings
bank for deposits of any sum, and
there is more than fS,SOO,OO0 in this
savings bank. There have been no
losses with investments by the post
Office which must be In state or other
gilt edge securities.
The state provides a. public trustee
department, in which people lodge
their wills or make disposition of their
property, which is administered by
this department. If any estate in the
hands of the public trustee for the ben
eft of children, wife or family were
maladministered the colony would be
responsible.
All of these departments are under
control Of an auditing department Of
statutory officers. Their salaries can
not be reduced. and their decisions
cannot be reversed or inrerfered with.
The control by the state of these de-
partments years ago passed the expert
mental stage. They have been in
every way a success, and 1 believe
there is no one in our country who can
put through legislation to dispense with
any of these public utilities depart
ments. which have been carried on Cor
the benefit of the people of all classes.
Tt is not my province to discuss in
your country as visitor what the con-
ditions are here. All 1 can say is that |
In our country the control by state of |
these great public services is undenia- |
bly, best in the interests of all classes |
of the community. We have public |
opinion of the most emphatic character |
behind US to fortify the actions of the |
government of the country in carrying |
out these reforms.
Public opinion is the only vehicle, in |
my judgment that can help any coun |
try to effect a revolution of a charac- |
ter that would bring to them that |
which is an established fact in our |
country, which is pursuing its work |
without injury to the great mass of the
people.