The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-03

ter OF creating the machinery for com
I rulsory investigation II such industrial
controversies rs are Of sufficient mag
nitude and of sufficient concern 10 the
people OF the country as whole to
warrant the federal government in
taking action.
The need for some provision for such
Investigation was forcibly Illustrated,
during the past summer 4 strike Of
telegraph operators seriously interfcrcl
with tclegrnphlc communication. caus.
Ing great damage to business interests
and serious Inconvenience To the gen
ernl public. Appeals were made to me
from many parts OF the country. from
city councils. from boards of trade
from chambers Of commerce and from
labor organizations. urging that stems
bc taken to terminate the strike. Ev.
erything that could with any proprirty
be done by representative Of the GOV.
ernment was done without avail. and
for weeks the public stood hy aud suf
fercd without recourse OF any kind
Had the machinery existed and had
there been authority for COMPULSORY
investigation OF the dispute the public
would have been placed In possession
OF the merits OF the controversy. aud
public opinion would probably have
brought about n prompt adjustment.
Each successive step creating ma |
chincry for the adjustment Of labor |
difficulties must be- taken with Caution /
but We should cndcavor to make prog .
rcss In this direction
The provisions Of the act Of 1873 .
creating the chairman Of the Interstate
commerce commission ana the cummis. ,
sloncr of labor a board Of mediation I'm .
controversies between Interstate rail
roads and their employees has for the
first time been subjected to serious
tests within the past year. and the wis.
dom of the experiment has been fully
demonstrated. The creation of board
for compulsory Investigation IN cases
where mediation fails and arbitration
Is rejected is the next logical step In
programme.
Capital and Labor.
Ii Is certain that for some time 10
come there will be constant incrcusc
absolutely and perhaps relatively of
those among our citizens who dwell i'm
cities or towns Of some size and who
work for wages. This means that
there will be an ever increasing need
TO consider the problems inscparablc
from great Industrial civilization.
Where an immense and complex busi.
ness, especially In those branches re
ating TO manufacture and transporta.
lion. is transacted by large number
" capitalists who employ very
much larger number of wage earners
he former tend more and more 10
combine into corporations and the lat.
er into unions. The relations Of the
capitalist and wagewo-ker To one an
,ther and OF each TO the general public
ire not always easy to adjust. and to
'ut them and keep them on n satlsfac-
ory basis Is one of the most important
md one OF the most delicate tasks be-
ore our whole civilization Much OF
he work for the accomplishment OF
his end must he done by the indlvld
ials concerned themselves. whether
ingly or In combination. and the one
fact that must never be-
ost track OF is that the character OF
he average man. whether he he u man
II means or man who works with
lis hands, Is the most important fac.
or In solving the problem Alright But ,
Is almost equally important to re-.
member that without good laws Il Is
lso impossible TO reach the proper so ,
ntion. IL is idle TO hold that without
ood laws evils such as child labor. MS
he oyerworllng Of women. as the fail ,
re TO protect employees from loss of /
fe or limb can be effectively reached ,
ny more than the evils Of rebates and t,
took watering can be reached without :
ood laws. To fail to stop these prac- :
Ices by legislation means to force hon !,
st men into them. because otherwise ,
ne dishonest who surely will take ad
antage Of them will have everything ,
heir own way. If the states will cor a
ect these evils. well and good. but the /,
alton must stand ready to aid them.
n