The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1908-12-08

Il the railroads. the permission of the
commission being first gained and
1.-THE combination or agreement is be-
ling published in all its details. In
the interest of the public the repre-
sentatives of the public should have
complete power to see that the rail-
roads do their duty by the public,
and as a matter of course this power
should also be exercised so as to see
that no injustice is done to the rail-
roads. The shareholders, the en-
ployees and the shippers all have
interests that must be guarded 1t
is to the interest of all of them that
no swindling stock speculation should
be allowed, and that there should be
no improper issuance of securities.
The guiding intelligences necessary
for the successful building and sue
cessful management of railroads
should receive ample remuneration;
but no man should be allowed to
make money in connection with rail-
roads out of fraudulent Over-capltal-
ization and kindred Safeguarding
performances; there must be no de-
frauding of investors, oppression OF
the farmers and business men who
ship freight, or callous disregard OF
the rights and needs of the en-
ployees In addition to this, the in
terests of the shareholders, of the
employees, and of the shippers
should all be guarded as against one
another. To give any of them undue
and improper consideration is to do
injustice to the others. Rates must
be made as low as is compatible with
giving proper returns to all the en-
ployees of the railroad, from the
highest to the lowest, and proper re-
turns to the shareholders; but they
must not, for instance, be reduced in
such fashion as to necessitate a cut
in the wages of the employees or the
abolition of the proper and legiti-
mate profits of honest shareholders.
Labor.
There are many matters affecting
labor and the status of the wage
worker to which | should like to
draw your attention, but an exhaus-
tive discussions Of the problem in all
it, respect; IS not now necessary.
! TIL. acn mist r:,.!Cn is ne.rin5 It's
ed and. 40 cover, under uui' form
of government the solution of the
problem depends upon the action of
the nation. Nevertheless, there are
certain considerations which | wish
to set before you, because | hope mat
our people will more and more keep
them in mind. A blind ana ignorant
resistance to every effort for the re-
form of abuses and for the readjliSt-
ment of society to modern industrial
conditions represents not true coll
servatism but an Indictment to the
widest rajicalism; for wise radical
ism and wise conservatism go hand in
hand, one bent on progress, the 9TH
er bent on seeing that no change is
made unless in the right direction.
/ believe in steady effort, or per-
haps it would be more accurate to
say in steady efforts in many direc-
lions, to bring about condition of
affairs under which the men who
work with hand or with brain, the
laborers, the superintendent, the
men who produce for the market and
the men who find market for the
articles produced, shall own far
| greater share Of the wealth they pro-
duce, and be enabled to invest in the
5Ools and instruments by which all
work is carried on. AS far as pos
sj5le l hope to see frank recognition
! Of the advantages conferred by ma
cninery, organization, and division of
| labor, accompanied by an effort to
bring about larger share in the
! ownership by wageWorker OF rail-
way, mill, and factory.
Protection for Wage-Workers.
I But there is one mater with which
! the congress should deal at this ses-
sion. There should be no longer be
/ any paltering with the question Of
! taking care of the wageworkers who
under our present industrial system,
become killed, crippled or worn out
as part of the regular incidents of
! given business. The majority of
wageworkers must have their rights
secured for them by state action; but
the national government should legis-
late in thorough-going and far
reaching fashion, not only for all en-
ployees of the national government,
but for all persons engaged in inter-
state commerce The object sought
| III COuIu NC dCulSFcu " mCdo III a.
BILE degree, as far as those killed or
crippled are concerned, by proper
employers liability laws. AS far as
concerns those who have been worn
out, call your attention to the fact
that definite steps toward providing
Old-age pensions have been taken in
many of our private industries. These
may be indefinitely extended through
voluntary association and contribu-
tory schemes, or through the agency
of savings banks, as under the re-
cent Massachusetts, plan. To strength
en- these practical measures should
be our immediate duty; it is not at
present necessary to consider the
larger and more general government
al schemes that most European gov
ernments have found themselves
obliged to adopt
| Inland Waterways.
| Action should be begun forthwith,
during the present session of the con-
gress, for the improvement of our
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