The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-12-11


ness. AS far as concerns those
who have been worn out. 1 call your
attention to the fact that definite
steps toward providing old-age pen
sions have been taken in many Of our
private industries. These may be in
definitely extended through voluntary
association and contributory schemes
or through the agency of savings
banks. as under the Massac husetts
plan.
Urgent Need Of Reform.
Our present system or rather no sys.
TEN. works dreadful wrong. and Is OF
benefit To only one class of people-the
lawyers. When a workman is injured
what he needs is not an expensive and
doubtful lawsuit. but the certainty OF
relief through immediate adminstra-
tive action. No academic theory
about Freedom of contract" or "consti-
tuttOnal liberty to contract" should be
permitted TO interfere with this and
similar movements.
| renew my recommendation that
the principle Of the eight hour day
should as rapidly and as far as pract-
cable be extended to the entire work
being carried on by the government;
the present law should be amended to
embrace contracts on those public
works which the present wording Of
the act seems to exclude.
Judges Too Poorly Paid.
Coupled with a eulogy of the jul
dietary Of the nation the president
urges that. beginning with the SUI
preme court. the judges should have
their salaries doubled.
AS was TO be expected, the attitude
assumed by certain labor leaders dur
! ing the recent election comes in for
| bitter criticism. The president as
serts that demands made or congress
for legislation were unjust and i'm
practical and could but work harm to
the cause Of labor. While declaring
that our judicial system Is sound and
effective at core, the president says:
There are certain decisions by various
| courts which have been exceedingly det-
rimental to the rights Of wage workers.
This IS true Of all decisions that decide
that men are. by the constitution. guar
anteed their liberty to contract to enter
undesirable or improper number of hours,
or to work in unhealthy surroundings:
| and therefore cannot recover damages
when manned in that occupation, and
cannot be forbidden to work what the
| legislature decides Is an excessive num-
Der OF hours, or to carry on the work
under conditions which the legislature
decides to be unhealthy.
There Is also. I think. ground for the
belief that substantial injustice Is often
suffered by employees in consequence OF
the custom OF courts issuing temporary
injunctions without notice to them and
furnishing them for contempt OF court in
instances where, as a matter OF fact
they have no knowledge OF any proceed
ings. Organized labor is chatting
under the unjust restraint which
comes from repeated resort to this
plan of procedure.
Injunction Must Remain.
The power of injunction is grea
equitable remedy. which should on M
account be DESTROYED. But safeguards
should be erected against its abuse
In substance. provision should be made
that no injunction or temporary re
straining order issue otherwise than or
notice. except where irreparable injur!
would otherwise result: and in such cas'
hearing on the merits Of the orde
should be had within a short fixed pc
Rod and If not then continued ate
hearing. it should forthwith lapse. De
cisions should be rendered Immediately
and the chance of delay mnimized IL
every way Moreover. | believe that tn
procedure should be sharply defined. ant
the Judge required minutely 10 state tn
particulars both Of his action and OF hi
reasons therefor, so that the congress
can IL it desires examine and -investigat
the same.
Harm Worked by Law.
Discussing measures necessary TO
! the proper control of giant corpora
,, tons operating in defiance of law, tn
president says:
Real damage has been done by tn
{ manifold and conflicting Interpretation
4 | OF the interstate commerce law. Con
, troll over the great corporations doin
! interstate business can be effective onl
!, | IL it Is vested with full power in a
administrative department. branch o
. the federal executive. carrying out
, federal law; 1t can never be effective
a divided responsibility is left in bot
the states and the nation; 1t can neve
be effective If left in the hands OF IN
! courts to be decided by lawsuits.
The courts hold place Of peculiar an
deserved sanctity under our form of gov
eminent Respect for the law Is esser
tial to the permanence of our institt
J. tons and respect for the law Is Target
conditioned upon respect for the court
1t Is an offense against the republic
say anything which can weaken this r.
spect, save for the gravest reason and
v the most carefully guarded manner. In 4
s other nation in the world do the cour
! WELD such vast and far-reaching pow'
n as in the United States. All that is net
: essary Is that the courts as who
! should exercise this power with the ia
I sighted wisdom already shown by thos
= Judges who scan the future while the
;, act in the present.
h Forest Preservation.
- The manifest necessity for fore
e preservation is pointed out as dut
II the present generation owes to its d
i scendants, and the president cites tt
e case of China, where reckless de-fo
l. estation has resulted in creating de
erts, as an object lesson.
e inland Waterways.