Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-25

dividual rights of the workmen in the
prosecution of their trade or trades;
and in the act of June !. 1895. strikes
were recognized as legal in the same
provision that forbade participation in or
instigation of force or violence against
persons or property. or the attempt to
prevent others from working. bS vlo-
lence threat or intimidatio The bust
ness man must he protected in person and
property. and SO must the farmer and
wageWorker: and as regards all alike
the right of peaceful combination for
all lawful purposes should be explicitly
recognized.
The right of employers to combine
and contract with one another and with
their employees should be explicitly
recogniZed: and SO should the right OF
the employees to combine and to con
tract with one another and with the
employers. and to seek peaceib1y to
persuade others to accept their views.
and to strike for the purpose of peace
ably obtaining from employers Satls-
factory terms for their labor. Nothing
should be done to legalize either a
blacklist or a boycott that would be il
legal at common law; this being the
type of boycott defined and condemned
by the anthracite strike commission.
Financial Legislation Urgent.
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
he taken to establish postal savings
banks. These postal savings banks are i'm
peratively needed for the benefit of the
wagewOrkers and men of small means.
and Will be a valuable adjunct to our
whole financial system.
The time has come when we should pre-
pare for a revision of the tariff. This
should he. 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 Representa- tives,
to originate a tariff bill and to deter
mine upon it's terms, and this l 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
existence. This would necessitate some
action by the Congress at it's present
session, perhaps in the shape of direct
ing the proper committee to gather the
necessary information both through the
committee itself and through govern
ment agents who should report to the
committee and should lay before it the
facts which would permit it to act with
prompt and intelligent fairness.
These government agents, If 1t is not
deemed wise to appoint individuals from
OUTSIDE the pubic service, might Win
advantage be members of the executive
departments, designated by the Presi
dent, on his own motion or on the re-
quest of the committee. to act with 1t.
Admit Wood Pulp Free.
! am of the opinion, however, that one
change in the tariff could with advan-
tage be made forthwith. Our forests
need every protection and one method
of protecting them would be to put upon
the free list wood pulp. with corre-
spending 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 is required to
make it effective. The reasonable ex-
pectation of the people will not be met
unless the Congress provides at this ses-
sion for the beginning and prosecution
of the actual work of waterway i'm
provement and control. The Congress
should recognize in fullest fashion the
fact that the subject Of the conserva-
ton of our natural resources. with
which this commission deals. is literally
vital for the future of the nation.