Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-04-30

SuuiC VI TIC MTBe IhttoIlco VI lhC
state, investigating conditions as to
the need for such a law. found many
Instances of little children, nine or ten
years OF age. working at the looms or
In some other capacity. In a number
Of cases It was claimed that the child
was the sole support Of some INDECENT
Investigation developed in a
majority of cases that these claims
were not bona hde. However that
may be, l believe II a mar is Sc poor
that he must rely for support upon the
labor of a little child he is poor enough
for the state to support him as a pau
per. He has no right to injure the
child mentally, physically and morally
by putting 1t to work at a tender age
in some. great factory. C%hild-labor is
the enemy of civilization, and l am
glad Missouri is doing her part to cor
rect this cruel wrong. At this extra
session an act was also passed extend
ing the Jurisdiction of the factory in
spector SO as TO rigidly enforce this
child-Iabor law.
The Adult Damage Act.
Prior to 1905, strange to say. there
was no remedy in this state for the
negligent death OF an adult unmarried
person. If a child were killed by negli-
gence the parents could recover II an
adult married person were killed by
negligence there was a remedy. But
for all persons over the age of 81 years
and unmarried the law gave no relief
whatever for death caused by negli-
gence. II, however. instead Of being
killed, such adult were merely injured
there was the same remedy as in other
cases. The limb of a bachelor was
considered valuable, but the life OF a
bachelor worth nothing at all. rec
commended that this plain injustice be
corrected and a law was enacted CIV
ing such right of action. Statistics
showed that a large per cent of the
deaths caused by negligence of street
railroad companies was Of adult I'M
married persons. Until this act was
put on the statute books there was no
liability, no matter how many near rel
atlves might have been dependent for
a livelihood upon the labor Of the de-
ceased, and powerful corporate influ-
ences succeeded in preventing legisla-
ton to correct this injustice Of the law
until the statute mentioned was en-
acted.
Eight Hour Law.
Another law in keeping with the gem
eral movement for shorter hours Of
labor, which Is conducive to healthier
workmen. and therefore better work,
was the eight hour law for miners.
Along the same line is the statute pre-
venting railroads from working train
| crews more than sixteen continuous
hours. The purpose of these laws is
to prevent accidents by having en-
| ployes with clear brains and steady
nerves instead OF being stupeled by
loss of sleep and overwork.
Freight Rates and the 2-cent Passen'
ger Rate.
Speaking of public service corpora
tions in my campaign speeches, | said:
81 shall not permit public SER
vice corporations to make the leg
islature the tool of corporate in
terests. | shall see that corpora
tons and all other interests, as
well as individuals are treated
fairly and justly. They, as well
as individuals, shall have all the
rights the law accords to them,
but no more. They shall have
equal and exact Justice, but no spe-
cial privileges"
At the legislative session of 1905
maximum freight rate law vas enact
ed, fixing freight rates in the state or
what was believed to be a REASONABLE,
basis. This was the first law regulat
ing freight rates that had been enacted
for thirty years. BY reason of an In
junction against the state officials is
sued by the federal court, the opera
ton Of this law has been suspended
A great deal OF testimony was takel
to determine the fairness OF thes'
rates and as a result of these inves
LEGATIONS into the cost of freight an
passenger service, the conclusion wa
arrived at, both by myself and the ger
eral assembly, that passenger rate
could be materially reduced withou
doing any injustice to the corpora
lions. Believing that the passenge
business of railroads justified 1t I rec
commended a reduction of the passer
ger rate from Q cents to 2 cents
mile. This was not done hastily o
without due elaboration, but after
careful consideration of the bushes
done, and the cost of doing 1t. In fol
mer years probably one-third of tn
people travelled free, while the n
mainder paid three cents a mile. ]
was a saying a few years ago tina
only the poor pay railroad fare.
There was much truth in this. Peopl
OF wealth or influences, social or poll
ical, could usually obtain free trani
p~ortation. This was discrimination c
an Illegal character. Railroads ar
public highways. What they charg
for the carriage Of passengers an
freight is in the nature Of a tax on tn
public, paid by those who obtain tn
service. They have no more right I
carry one man free and charge anothe
=. a. &voo.Dort tho onodo ~ oua N q