Gilpin observer., 1906-12-06

PRODUCTION of an eight-hour day, but in
sists that on the Isthmus of Panama the
they are here that the introduction of an
eignt-hour day on the canal would be
surd as It is so far as the isthmus is
concerned, where white labor cannot be
employed, to bother to whether the
work is done by allen 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 a federal
female labor throughout the country.
He reviews the work of the commission
appointed to investigate labor conditions
in the coal fields of Pennsylvania in 1902.
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-
ton of controversies between employers
and employees when they arise" After
referring to the fact that bill has al
ready been introduced to this end he
says; .!Marv ., those s,r,ses and lockouts
would not have occurred had the parties
to the dispute been required to appear
before an unprejudiced body representing
the nation and, face to face, state the
Instances the dispute would doubtless be
found to be due to a misunderstanding
by each OF the others rights, aggravated
cept as true the statements of the other
to the justice or injustice of the mat
ters in dispute. The exercise of jul
dicial spirit by dsinterested Noiy
representing the federal government.
such would be provided by a commits
would tend to create an atmosphere OF
friendliness and Cancellation between con-
tending 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 developing
into serious strikes or lockouts. and in
sion to persuade the opposing parties to
come to terms.
Dor combinations, neither employers nor
employees should be left completely at
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
which cannot wisely be disregarded; an
interest not merely of general conven,
proper public policy must also be con-
sdered. In all legislation of this kind
it is well to advance cautiously, testing
each step by the actual results; the step
proposed can surely be safely taken, for
the decisions of the commission would
not bind the parties in legal fashion. and
yet would give chance for public opin-
ion to exert it, full force for the 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, and
says that all of these have already justi-
fed their enactment, but recommends
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 the government. Continuing on
this subject of the control of corporations
by the federal government he says:
''lt cannot too often be repeated that ex-
t...V f.a,Nas hos nl moi ral .
possibility of securing by the actions of
nearly half hundred different state
bss m sbe aythnS dealing sIf wts the
great corporations which do not operate
exclusively within the limits of any one
state. In some method, whether by
national license law or in other fashion,
we must exercise, and that at an early
date. far more complete control than
tions-a control that will among other
things preventS>the 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 stop to the secur-
ing of inordinate profits by favored
individuals at the expense whether OF
the general public. the stockholders, or
the wageworkers. Our effort should be
not much to prevent consolidation as
as to see that it results in no harm to
the people. The reactionary or ultracon-
servatve apologists for the misuse OF
wealth assail the effort to secure such
control a step toward socialism. As
matter of fact II is these reacuonaries
and ultraconservauves who are them
selves most potent in increasing socialis-
tic feeling. One of the most efficient
methods of averting the consequences of
cent wrong. is to remedy the 20 per cent
of evil as to which the agitation is well
founded. The best way to avert the very
undesirable move for the governmental
ownership
the government on behalf of the people
as whole such adequate control and
regulation of the great Interstate com
mon carriers will do away with the
evils which give rise to the agitation
to the dangerous and wicked agitation
against the men of wealth as such is to
secure by proper legislation and execu-
tive action the abolition of the grave
abuses which actually do obtain In con-
nection with the business use of wealth
under our present system-or rather no
quate control at all. Some persons speak
as II the exercise of such governmental
of ophirh inaivid"ai W initiative m and dwarf indi-
vdual effort. This is not fact. II
would be vertable calamity to fail to
put a premium upon individual initiative.
Individual capacity and effort; upon the
energy, character and foresight which
1t is so important to encourage In the
Individual. But a matter of fact the
deadening and degrading effect of pure
socialism, and especially OF its extreme
form communism, ana the destruction OF
bring about, are in part achieved by the
wholly unregulated competition which
results In II single individual or corpor-
alton rising at the expense of all others
until his or its rise effectually checks all
competition and reduces former competi-
tors to n position of utter inferiority and
subordination.
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 endeavor to secure
The needed reform by the joint action OF
the moderate men. the plain men who
do not wish anything hystericai 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 II logical. we should go
to government ownership OF railroads
and the like; the reactionaries. because
on such an issue they think the people