The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-11

Tn hitting our citizens TOT uolng InelF economic duties in the best possible shape. In the South there is a popula- tion peculiarly fitted to profit by them, a population which has been generally referred to as "poor white,' popula- tion of splendid capacities, and almost purely of the old native stock, which simply lacks the opportunity to devel- op a degree of industrial efficiency un- surpassed elsewhere on this contin- ent.
 Tt is a matter for congratulation that there is such a steady increase of interest in the Southern states in ev- erything pertaining to children. This has already markedly shown itself, and I hope will still more markedly show itself in the future, in warning against the evil of child labor in fac- tories. The factory is very poor place indeed for child; indeed, per sonally think the factory a poor place for a woman-certainly for a married woman, or for an unmarried woman for more than very few years. Tn any community organized on really healthy lines the average woman will have quite enough to do in her own home, whether she is rich or poor and nowhere else can she do work of such value to the nation as whole-and by work, I mean her housework, her work as housewife and mother, and not so-called "home in- dustries."
 As regards children, it is as essen tial to look after their physical as their mental training. We can not afford to let children grow up ignor- ant; and if they are sent to school they can not, while young, also work hard outside without detrment, phy- sical, mental and moral. here is ur- gent need for the health authorities to increase their care over the hygienic conditions and surroundings of chill dren of tender years, and especially to supervise those in the schools. It Is a good thing to try to reform bad chil- dren, to try to build up degenerate children; but 1t is an even better thing to try to keep healthy in soul, body, and mind those children who are now sound but who may easily grow up unsound if no care is taken of them. The nations most valuable asset is the children; for the children are the nation of the future. All peo- pie alive to the nations need should join together to work for the moral, spiritual, and physical welfare of the children in al parts of our land. I am glad that there has been founded a national society of public school hy- giene, and I wish 1t, and all it's branches, we'll in every way"
 Employers Liability Law.
 Dropping the subject of women and children President Roosevelt proceed ed to advocate employers liability leg Iislation. He said: We need laws for the care of our children which were not needed when this country was ir l its infancy. We need laws for the control of vast corporations such as were not needed when the individua fortunes were far smaller than at pres ent, and when these fortunes were not combined for business use. In the same way we need to change our at titude toward labor problems from what that attitude was in the days when the great bulk of our people liv- ed in the country with no more com plex labor relations than is implied ir the connection. between the farmer and the hired help.
 For example, the great increase 1T mechanical and manufacturing opera. tions means a corresponding increase
 in the number of accidents to the wage
 workers employed therein, these in
 cluding both preventable and inevita.
 ble accidents. To the ordinary wage
 workers family such calamity means
 grim hardship. As the work is done
 for the employer, and therefore ulti'
 mately for the public, 1t is a bitter In
 justice that it should be the wage
 worker himself and his wife and chil
 dren who bear the whole penalty. Leg
 islation should be had, alike from tho
 nation and from the states, not only
 to guard against the needless multipli cation of these accidents, but to re
 lieve the financial suffering due tt them. Last winter congress passed z
 safety-appliance law which marked { long stride in the right direction. Bu there should be additional Legislation
 to secure pecuniary compensation tC l workmen suffering from accidents, ant when they are killed, to their families At present both in the sphere covered 1 by national Legislation, and in thu
 sphere covered by state legislation, thu
 law in too many cases leaves the fin
 ancial burden of industrial accidents to be borne by the injured workmel and their families; and a workman
 who suffers from an accident eithe has no case at all for redress or els,
 must undertake suit for damages
 against his employer. The presen practice is based on the view announc
 ed nearly seventy years ago tha
 principles of justice and good sens
 demand that workman shall talk
 upon himself all the ordinary risks Q ] his occupation" Tn my view, principles
 of justice and good sense demand tn
 very reverse of this view, which ex
 perience has proved to be unsound an'
 productive of widespread suffering.
 Government and Railroads.
 'aThe national government should b
 a model employer. It should demand the highest quality of service from 1t employees and should care for then properly in return. Congress shoult Iadopt legislation providing limited bu