The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-12-03

ter of creating the machinery for com.
pulsory investigation of such Industrial
controversies as are Of sufficient mag
nitude and Of sufficient concern to 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. A strike of
telegraph operators seriously interfered
with telegraphic comm unication, caus-
ing great damage to business interests
and serious inconvenience to the gen
eral public. Appeals We're 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 steps
be taken to terminate the strike. Ey-
erything that could with any propriety
be done by a representative Of the gov
eminent was done without avail, and
for weeks the public stood by and suf-
fered 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, and
public opinion would probably have
brought about a prompt adjustment
Each successive step creating ma
chinery for the adjustment Of labor
difficulties must be taken with caution,
but we should endeavor to make prog
ress in this direction
The provisions Of the act of 1893
creating the chairman of the interstate
commerce commission and the commits
sioner of labor board of mediation in
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 a
progressive programme.
Capital and Labor.
It is certain that for some time to
come there will be a constant increase
absolutely and perhaps relatively of
those among our citizens who dwell in
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 inseparabl BILE
from a great industrial civilization.
Where an immense and complex bust
ness, especially in those branches re-
lating to manufacture and Transports
ton, is transacted by large number
of capitalists who employ very
much larger. number Of wage earners
the former tend more and more to
combine into corporations and the lat
ter into unions. The relations of the
capitalist and WageWorker to one an
other and of each to the general public
are not always easy to adjust, and to
put them and keep them on satisfac-
tory basis is one of the most important
and one Of the most delicate tasks be-
fore our whole civilization, Much of
the work for the accomplishment of
this end must be done by the individ-
uals concerned themselves, whether
s1ngly or IN combination, and the one
fundamental fact that must never be
lost track Of is that the character of
the average man, whether he be man
Of means or tiian who works with
his hands, is tie most important fac
tor in solving the problem bright. But
it is almost equally important to re-
member that without good laws it is
also impossible to reach the proper So
luton. It is idle to hold that without
good laws evils such as child labor. as
the overworktng of women, as the fail
ure to protect employees from loss Of
life or limb can be effectively reached
any more than the evils of rebates and
stock watering can be reached without
good laws. To fail to stop these prac-
tees by legislation means to force hon
est men into them, because otherwise
the dishonest who surely will take adj
vantage Of them will have everything
their own way. If the states will cor
rect these evils, well and good. but the
nation must stand ready to aid them.
CHILD AND WOMAN LABOR.
No Industrial Question of More ln1por.
lance Than This.
No nnnsf:nn GRO 1ninr ont oc orr: 1n MI