Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1907-12-05


United States stands IN unenvtable proml-
hence. In both our federal and our state
legislation We have. with few exceptions:
the feilow-servant principle OF the old
law of liability, and in some OF our states
even this slight modification Of CONF
been secured. The legislation Of the rest
of the industrial world stands out IN
striking contrast to our backwardness In
this respect.
tension OF the eight-hour law. The con-
stltutionality Of the present law has r..
Gently been called
Eight Hour Law. into question. and
has decided that the existing legislation
is unquestionably within the powers OF
hour day should as rapidly and az far az
practicable be extended to the entire
work carried on by the government; and
embrace contracts on those public works
which the present wording Of the act
has been construed TO exclude. The gen
eral introduction of the eight-hour day
should be the goal toward which We
should steadily tend. and the govern
ment should set TIE example In this rv-
spect.
Strikes and lockouts. with their attend
ant loss and suffering. continue to In
crease. For the Ave years ending Dec.
81. 1905, the number
Compulsory lnvesti- of strikes was great
er than those in any
cation Of Industrial previous ten years
and was double the
Disputes. number In the pre-
cedfng five years.
These figures indicate the increaslng need
OF providing some machinery to deal with
this class OF disturbances In the interest
alike Of the employer, the employe and
the general public I renew my previous
recommendation that the congress- favor
machinery for compulsory investigation
of such Industrial controversies AZ arc
OF sufficient magnitude and of suficient
concern TO the people Of the country a.
nent In taking action.
The need for some provision for such
Investigation: sti was forcibly Illustrated dur
graph operators seriously interfered with
Geographic communication, causing great
damage to business interests and serious
peals were made TO me from many parts
OF the country. from city councils. from
boards OF trade. from chambers Of COM
merce. and from labor organizations.
urging that steps be taken to terminate
the strike. Everything that could with
any proprtety be done by representa-
out avail. and for weeks the public stood
by and suffered without recourse Of any
kind. Had the machinery existed and
been sbe 1es te pSyy
would have been placed In possession Of
the inertia of the controversy. and public
OPINION would PROBABLY nave Drought
1t is certain that for some time to como
there will be q constant increase abso-
iutely. and perhaps. relatively. of those
Capital aud Labor. Who dwen in cities
means that Their. viii be an ever-increas-
Ing need to consider the problems In
xation. The relations Of the capitalist
Ind ~
each to the general public. are not always
easy to adjust; and to put them and keep
most important and one Of the most deli
cate tasks before our whole civilization.
It is idle to hold that without good laws
WORKING Of Women. as the failure g to o pro-
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 practices py legislation
means to force honest men into them.
because otherwise the dishonest who
surely will take advantage of them win
have everything their own way. II the
states will correct these evils we'll and
good: but the nation must stand ready to
aid them
and complex Industrial development is
ment Of women and children me pres-
ence of women in industry reacts with
extreme directness upon the character of
conditions surrounding the employment
| of children bear a vital relation to our
future citizenship. The national govern
troll of child labor the use Of the inter-
state commerce clause to prevent the
products Of child lebor from entering into
this 1t ought certainly to enact model
Jaws ON the subject for the territories
under its own Immediate control
There is one fundamental proposition
a a
/ these matters. namely: While honesty by
itself will not solve the problem. vet the
meal honesty. but honesty In purpose and
Spirits an essential element in arriving
at right conclusion. Vice in its cruder
body; but there 10 very urgent need that
public opinion should be Just as severe
IN eccn,demnstion Of the VICE which hides
itself behind class or professional loyal
". or which denies that 1t ID vice II IL
can sah,: escaps conviction in the courts. The
t ana an e Of the
bench or n executive or legislative posi-
lions. need to remember that often the
i m2st - da th criminals so far as the
those who commit the crimes known to
ana sas condemned condemned BY the popular coincidence
crimes only rendered possible by the
sompiex conditions Of our modern In
f dSssral life i makes not particle Of
United bv q capitalist or by a iaborer. by
leading banker or manufacturer or rail-.
ROAD man. or by a leading representative
OF labor union: swindlinG IN stocks,
by. the infisticn Of secirities. by wreckine
rsllroads. by destroying Competitors
throMgh rebates-.these forms OF WRONG
9olng IN the capitalist. are far more I'M
tamnus than any ordinary form Of EN-
nezz!ement or forgery: yet 1t Is matter
OF extreme difficulty to secure the pun
most responsible for Them The business
man who condones such conduct stands
| on level with the labor man who do.
nOerate!y supports corrupt demaRogue
ana and asitator. whether head Of union or
said to have stood by the union" The ,e
members OF the business community. the
educators. OF clergvmen. who condone
ana encourage the first kind Of wron1.
coinR. are no more dangerous 10 the
community. but are morally even worse
than the labor men who are guilty Of the
10 70 be pardoned those who have M
such excuse as IL furnished either nv
ignorance or by dire need. -
When the department of aRricultnr
was rounded there was much sneerine as
to Its usefulness. No department OF the
Farmer. and wage. e. has more eow .w
its usefylnessa.' cs snd
none save the .postofice Department
comes 10 continually and Intimately intn
sGnch With .t,,. the people The two citizens
Vital to the welfare Of the nation 'n .na
therefore to the welfare OF ali other citi.
| PENS. are the wage-workee who 49,
manual labor and the tiller OF the soii
the farmer. There are. OF course. kinds