Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-04-01

causes Of action heretofore occurred
should be brought only if the contract
or combination complained of was I'M
fair or unreasonable. II may be well
10 remember that all of the suits
hitherto brought by the government
under the antitrust law have been in
cases where the combination or cor
tract was in fact unfair, unreasonable,
and against the public interest.
The president thinks it is important
that we should encourage trade agree
ments between employer and employee
where they are just and fair. A
strike is a clumsy weapon, he adds
for righting wrongs done to labor, and
we should extend. so far as possible.
the process Of cancellation and arbi-
tration as a substitute for Strikes
Moreover, violence, disorder and CO.
erciOn, when committed in connec-
tion with strikes, should be as
promptly and as sternly repressed rs
when committed in any other connec-
ton; but strikes themselves are,
and should be. recognized to be en-
tirely legal" Twenty-Five years
ago unions were recognized by Law.
and the right of laboring people 10
combine for all lawful purposes was
formally recognized. The business
man must be protected in persca
and property, and so must the farmer
and the wageworker; and as regards
oil oil ~ he rio of FIJI
bination for all lawful purposes
should be explicitly recognized. The
right of employers, to combine and
contract with one another and with
their employees shbuld be explicitly
recognized; and so should the right
of the employees to combine and to
contract with one another and with
the employers. and to seek peaceably
to persuade others to accept Their
views. and to strike for the purpose
of peaceably obtaining from employ
ers satisfactory terms for their la
Dor Nothing should be done to le-
galize either a blacklist or a boycott
that would be illegal at common
law: this being the type Of boycott
defined and condemned by the an
thracite strike commission"
Postal Savings Banks.
The question of financial legisla-
ton is receiving such attention in
both houses that we have q right h
expect action before the close of the
session. 1t is urgently necessary,
says the president, that there should
be such action. Moreover, action
should be taken to establish postal
savings banks. These postal saw
ings banks are imperatively needed
for the benefit of the wageworkers
and men of small means. and will
be a valuable adjunct to our whole
financial system"
Water-powers.
Numerous bills granting water
power rights or navigable streams
have been introduced. None Of
them give the government the right
to make a reasonable charge for
the valuable privileges so granted,
in spite of the fact that these water
power privileges are equivalent TO
many thousands of acres of the best
coal lands for their production of
power. Nor is any definite time
limit set, as should always be done
in such cases. Therefore, declares
the president, Il shall De obliged
hereafter. in accordance VIII the
policy stated in recent message, to
veto any water-power bill which does
not provide for time limit and for
the right Of he president or OF the
secretary concerned to fix and col
lect such charge as lie may find 70
De just and reasonable in each case.