The Washington times., 1907-12-03
Government Should Lead
In MSuring Employees

class OF distuI Dances in the interest
alike OF the employer, the employe. and
the general pubic. renew my previous
recommendation that the Congress IA
vorably consider the matter of creating
the machinery for compulsory investi-
cation OF such Industrial controversies
as are of sufficient magnitude and OF
sufficient concern to the people of the
country as a whole TO warrant the Fed
eral Government in taking action.
The need for some provision for such
investigation was forc!bly illustrated
curing the past summer. A strike OF
telesrapn operators seriously interfered
with telegrRpnic communication, cans
ing great damage &c business Interests.
an q serious Inconvenience 70 the general
pIDlc- Appeals were made TO me from
many parts OF the country from city
chambers Of commerce. and from labor
organizations, or urging that steps be
taken 70 terminate the strike Every
thing that could with any propriety be
Done Dy representative OF the Govern
menI was done, without Ayai3, and for
weeks the public stood by and suffered
without recourse OF any kind Had the
machinery existed and had there been
aHtnority Tor 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
Eacn successive step creating uaChin-
cry for the adjustment OF labor din
culttes must be taken with caution, but
We should endeavOr to make progress IN
this direction.
The provisions OF the act OF 1855 Cre-
atng the chairman Of the Interstate
commerce Commission and the Commfs-
sionef OF LABOR board Of mediation IN
controversies between interstate rail-
roads and their employees has for tne
nrst time, been subjected to serious
tests within the past year, and the wis
dom OF the experiment has been fully
demonstrated The creation OF a board
Tor compulsory invest CATION in cases
Wnere mediation fails aid arbitration is
rejected is the next logical step ia a
progressive program.
Capital and Labor.
Il Is certain that for some time TO
come there wis: be a constant increase
absolutely. and perhaps relatively, OF
those among our citizens who dwell in
cities or towns OF some slze and who
work for wages. This means that there
will be an ever-increasing need 20 con-
slider the problems inseparable from
great Industrial civilization. Where an
immense and complex business. espe-
cially IN those branches relating 10
manufacture and transportation, Is
transacted by a large number OF capt.
talists who employ a very much larger
number OF wage-earners, the former
tend more and more to combine into
corporations and the latter into unions
The relations OF the capitalist and wage
worker 70 one another, and OF each 10
the general public. are not always easy
10 adjust; and 10 put them and keep
them on q satisfactory basis Is one Of
the most important and one Of the most
delicate tasks before our whole ciyiliza-
ton.
Much OF the work for the accomplish
ment OF this end must be done by the
individuals concerned themselves, wheth-
er singly or 81 combination; and the
one fundamen' al fact that must never
be lest track OF Is that the character
OF the average man. whether he be a
man OF means or a man who works
with his hands, is the most important
faction in solving the problem Alright.
But II IS almost equally important TO
remember that without good laws it
is also impossible 70 reach the pFopes
solution.
Il is idle 70 hold that without good
laws evils such as child labor, as the
oyerworking OF women, as the failure
70 protect employees from loss OF life
-
more than the evils Of rebates and
stock k-watering can be reached without
good laws. To fail to stop these prac-
tees by Legislation means TO force
honest men into them, because other
wise the dishonest who surely will TAX c
advantage Of them viii have everything
their own way II ne States will cor
rect these evils, we'll and good: but the
nation must stand ready TO aid them.
Asks Child Labor Laws.
No question growing out Of our rapid
and complex industrial development is
more important than that OF the en-
ployment OF women and children The
presence of women in industry reacts
with extreme directness upon the char
acter OF the home and upon family life,
and the conditions surrounding the en-
Iloyment OF children bear vital rela-
ton TO our future citizenship. Our Iegis-
lation in those areas under the control
Of the Congress Is very much behind
the legislation OF our more progressive
States. A thorough and comprehensive
measure should be adopted at this ses-
sion OF the Congress relating TO the en-
ployment OF women and children In
the District OF Columbia and the Ter
ritories.
The investigation into the condition
Of women and children wage-earners
recently authorized and directed by the
! Congress is now being carried on in the
various States, and recommend that
the appropriation made last year for
beginning this work be renewed, in
order that we may have the thorough
and comprehensive investigation which
the subject demands. The National Gov
ernment has as an ultimate resort for
control OF child labor the use OF the
interstate commerce clause to prevent
the products - child labor from enter
iEg into interstate commerce. But be-
fore using this IL ought certainly 10
enact model laws OF the subject for the
Territories under It's own immediate con-
troll
There Is one fundamental proposition
which can be laid down as regards ali
these matters, namely: While honesty by
itself will not solve the problem; yet, ,fthe
insistence upon honesty-not merely
technical honesty. but horesty in pur-
pose and Spirits an essential element
| in arriving at a right conclusion. Vice
IN its cruder and more archaic forms
| shocks everybody; but there is very ur-
| gent need that public opinion should be
| lust as severe In condemnation OF the
| Vice which hides itself behind class OF
| professional loyalty, or which denies
that 1t is vice If il can escape conviction
IN the courts. The public and tie repre-