The Bottineau courant., 1906-12-07

young children in factories or at WORT
anywhere any e. !. are bio blot on our civiliza-
ultimately settle the question in 'is its
own way; but thoro official investi
cation OF the matter, with the results
Rslp Meuld greatly
science and securing unity Of stata
action in the matter; There is. how-
eyer, sIe1,S one e. law on the subject which
cause there is no need for an investi-
cation In reference thereto, and the
failure TAI to enact it is discreditable to
and thorogoing child-labor law should
be ENACTED for the District of Colum-
bia and the territories.
Employer Liability.
Among the excellent laws which the
employers liability law. It was a
marked step in advance to get the rec
IGNITION of employers liability on the
far enough: In spite Of ali precau-
tions exercised by employers there are
unavoidable accidents and even deaths
nese IN asary every yer Line Of bus
-Ihis inevitable sacrifice of life may be
reduced to a minimum, but it cannot
be completely eliminated: 1t is a great
or rather the family of the killed or
disabled victim, to bear the entire bur-
den of an inevitabl sacrifice. In other
the whole cost on the victim. whereas
called the legitimate risks Of. trade.
due in any line of industry to the actual
conditions under which that industry is
carried on, should be paid by that por-
of which the industry is carried on
that is, by those who profit by the in
dnstry. d,nday If the entire trade risk is
1ae sTpiSKfr sad t 9s se v ;nd
legitimate cost of production and as
sess it proportionately upon the con-
fore ces ar s To mS mnd that It il thfss aw
should place this entire risk of
trade upon the employer. Neither the
fedmsd federa3 iaw law as far as am in
the question of employers liability are
sufticiently thorogoing. The federal
the like.
Investigation of Disputes.
The commission appointed by the presi-
dent October 16 1902, at the request Of
miners to inquire into, consider and pass
upon the question in controversy in con-
nection with the strike in the anthracite
.out of which the controversy arose, in
the belief that The state and federal
Snsy what soed Be called the the
pulsory investigation of controversies be-
tween employers and employees when!
is deserving of thu the favorable" favorable considera- Or %
ton of the congress and the enactment
of its provisions into law. A bill has
Records show that during the 20
years from January l. 1881, to December
81: 1900, there were strikes g affecting H.
we hroWn out Of ne e@posment Bar
ing the same period there were zoos
lockouts. involving nearly 10000 estab-
oS Of OYER Thess stgRes and
lockouts involved an estimated loss to
empoyess Of sso7 600 and to employers
public bli'''Sfi Suffered dire directly T 'G and Indirectly
probably as great additional loss. But
the money loss, great as it was. did not
.dured by the Wives 9 and DC children of Of en- @
work stopt, or the disastrous effect Of
of employers, or the increase in the cost
of products and the inconvenience and
loss to the public.
Many of these strikes and lockouts
to the dispute been required to appear
before an unprejudiced body representing
reasons for their. contention; In most
4 instances the dispute wouldS doubtless be
found to be due to a misunderstanding
by each Of the others rights, aggravated
-cept as true the statements Of the other
as to the justice or injustice. of the mat
Sea z " spr} SRu BY ns Hsaeass body sH
representing the federal government,
such as would be provided by a commits
% Would tend to create an '' atmosphere s OF Of
friendliness and conciliation between con-
tending parties; and the giving each side
IN the o
prevent many disputes from developing
into serious strikes or lockouts, and in
other cases. would enable the commits
cSion to persuade the opposing parties to
come to terms.
In this age of great corporate and la
be s
the mercy of the stronger party to a dis
pute. regardless of the Righteousness Of
measure would be in the line of securing
recognition of the fact that in many
strikes the public has itself an interest
interest. not merely Of general conven:
ience. for. the question of just and
proper public policy must also be con-
sidered. :. In all legislation of this kind
it is well to advance cautiously, testing
leach 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-
ion to exert it's full force for the right.
Withdrawal Of Coal Lands.
It is not wise that the nation should
ALLEVIATE its remaining coal lands.
have temporarily withdrawn from settle
nlent all the lands which the geological
survey has indicated as containing, or in
all probability containing, coal. The
question, however, can be properly set
tied only by legislation. which in my
Judgment should. provide for the with
.drawal Of these lands from sale or from
ENTRY, save in certain especial circum-
stances 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 royalty sys-
tenn, the government keeping such
control as to permit it to see that no
excessive 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 as
the rates charged by those who mine it;
and the supervision must extend 10 the
conduct of the common carriers, so that
they shall In no way favor one competi-
tor at the expense Of another The WITH
+drawal Of these coal lands would consti-
tute policy analogous to that which has
been followed in withdrawing the forest
lands from ordinary settlement. The
-coal like the forests, should be treated
as the property of the public and its dis
-posal' should be under conditions which
would inure to the benefit of the public
las a whole.
CONTROL OF CORPORATIONS.