Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-04-02

prohibition contained in the antitrust
law, into which it was desired to enter,
might be filed with the bureau Of cor
poratonS or other appropriate executive
body. This swould provide publicity.
Wltnin, say. sixty days of the iing-
which period could be extended by order
Of the department whenever for any rea-
son it did not give the department suf-
iicient time for Il thorough SANITATION
the executive department having power
might forbid the contract, which would
then become subject to the provisions Of
the antitrust law, If at al! in restraint
of trade
If 70 such prohibition was issued. the
contract would then only be liable TO at
tack on the ground that it constituted
Whenever the period of filing had passed
without any such prohibition, the con-
tracts or combina tons could be disap-
proved OF forbidden only after notice and
hcarin" with reasonable provision for
summary review on appeal by the courts.
Labor organizations, farmers organiza-
tions, and other organizations not organ
lZed for purposes of profit, should be al
lowed to register under the law by Civ
ing the location OF the head office, the
charter and bylaws, and the names and
addresses Of their principal officers. In
the interest of all these organZa tons
business, labor and farmers Organizations
altko-the present provision permitting
the recovery of threefold damages should
be abolished and as a substitute there
for the right of recovery allowed for
should be only the damages sustained by
the plaintiff and the cost of the suit in
Guiding a reasonable attorneys fee.
The law should not affect pending suits:
a short statute of limitations should be
provided, so far as the past is concerned,
not {" exceed Il year. Moreover, and even
more in the interest of labor than Of bus
mess combinations, all such suits brought
for causes of action heretofore occurred
should be brought only if the contract
or combination complained of was unfair
member that all Of the suits hitherto
brought by the government under the
antitrust law have been in cases whore
the combination or contract was in fact
unfair unreasonable, and against the
public interest.
1t IS important that we should encour-
age trade agreements between employer
ana employe whore they are just and
fair. A strike is clumsy weapon for
rShting wrongs done to labor, and we
should extend, SO far as possible, the
process Of Cancellation and arbitration
as substitute for strikes. Moreover,
violence, disorder, and coercion, when
committed in connection with strikes,
should be as promptly and Sterny re-
pressed as when committed in any other
connection. But strikes themselves are,
and should be, recognized To be entirely
legal. Combinations OF wOrkngmen have
a peculiar reason for their existence. The
very wealthy individual employer, and
Still more the very wealthy corporation,
stand at an enormous advantage when
compared to the individual workingman;
and while there are many cases where
II may not be necessary for laborcrS to
form union, in many other cases it is
indispensable Tor Otherwise the thousands
OF small units. the thousands of indi-
Nidual wOrktngmen, viii be left helpless
In their dealings with the one big unit,
the big individual or corporate employer.
twenty-five years ago, by the act of
June %, 1856. trades unions were rcCog
niZed BY law, and the right of labOTing
people to combine for all lawful pur-
poses was formerly recognized this right
poses was formally recognized, this right
including combination for mutual proteC-
ton and benefits the regulation of wages,
hGI1rS n a he
protection Of the individual rights of the
workmcn in the prosecution Of their trade
or trades; and in the act of June /, 1898.
strikes We're recognized as legal in the
same provision that forbade participation
in or instiGation Of force or violence
against persons or property or the at
| by violence, threat, or intimidation. The
business man must be protected in per
son and property. and 50 must the farmer
and the waSeworker; and as regards all
alike the right of peaceful combination
for all lawful purposes should be explicit
The right Of employers to combine and
contract with one another and with their
employees should be explicitly recognized;
end SO should the right of the employees
- combine and to contract with one an
other and with the employers, and to
seek peaceably to persuade others to ac-
c"pt their views, and to strike for the
purpose Of peaCeably obtaining from em-
plcyers satisfactory terms for their labor.
Nothing should be done to legaliZe either
Il blacklist or a boycott that would be
| Illegal at common law; this being the
type of boycott defined and condemned
by the anthracite strike commission.
The question Of financial legislation IS
now receiving such attention in both
houses that We have a right to expect
action before the close of the session.
1t IS urgently necessary that there should
be such action. Moreover, action should
be taken, to establish postal savings
banks. These postal savings banks are
| imperatively needed for the benefit of the
waEeworkers and men of small means.
and will be a valuable adjunct to our
whole financial system.
The time has come when we should
prepare for a revision of the tariff. This
should be. and indeed must be- preceded
| by careful investigation. 1t is peculiarly
| the province of the congress and not of
| the president. and indeed peculiarly the
province of the house of representatives.
! TO originate u tariff bill and to determine
upon its terms; and this | fully realize
| Yet 1t seems to me that before the close
| of this session provision should be made
! for collecting full material which will
enable the congress elected next fall to
| act Immediately after it comes into ex-
! istence. This would neCeSsitate some
| tion by the congress at its present ses-
sion, perhaps in the shape Of directing
! the proper committee to gather the neces-
| Sary informatio both through the COM
mittee itself and through government
agents who should report to the commit
tee and should lay before it the facts
| which would permit it to act with prompt
! and intelligent fairness. These govern
| ment agents. if it is not deemed wise to
appoint individuals from outside the pub
! lie service. might with advantage be
members of the executive departments.
designated by the president. on his own
motion or on the request of the com
| mittce, to act with It,
! | am Of the opinion, however, that one
| change in the tariff could with advantage
| be made forthwith. our forests need
! every protection, and one method of pro-
| tecting them would be to put upon the
! free list wood pulp. with a corresponding
reduction upon paper made from wood
pulp when they come from any country
! that does not put an export duty upon
! them.
Ample provision should be made for a
! permanent waterways commission, with
| whatever power ia required to make it
| effective. The reasonable expectation of
| the people will not be met unless the
| congress provides at this session for the
! beginning and prosecution of the actual
| work of waterway Improvement and con-
troll The congress should recognize in
! fullest fashion the fact that the subject
of the conservation of our natural re
| sources with which this commission
deals is literally vital for the future of
! the nation.
Numerous bills granting water-power