The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-12-08
2aSS Law That Will Permit
Combines, Says Roosevelt


prohibition of child labor, diminution
OF woman labor, SHORTENING OF hours
OF all mechanical labor; stock waterins
should be prohibited. and stock spmp
ling so far as Is possible discourassu'
There should be progressing lnhelt,
ance tax on large fortunes Industrial
far as possible we should nghten the
burden or taxation OH the small man
We should put premium upon thtilL,
hard work, and business energy oYt
these qualities cease TO b, me main
factors In accommodating fortune iohs
before that fortune reaches polht
where II would be seriously aHecttd
by any Inheritance TAX such as l ptn-
pose. II Is eminentiy rtgh, mat the
nation should hx the terms upon whleh
the great fortunes are Inherited. Ihey
rarely DO good and they often DO harm
TO those who Inherit them in their en-
tirety.
Protect wage-Workers.
The above is the merest sketch. hard
Is even a sketch I'm outline. OF the re-
forms for which We should work but
there Is one matter with which the con-
gress should deal at TINS session. lHtte
should no longer be any palterlng Win
the question OF taking care OF the wage
workers who, under our present lhuus-
trial system. become killed, crlpplsa'
or worn out as part OF the regular ia
cidents OF a given business. The ma
jority OF wageworkcrs must nave lhelt
rights secured for them by state ac
ton. but the national government
should IeglsIate in thorough going and
lfar-reaching fashion not only Tor al
employees OF the national government
but for all persons engaged In inter sr-
state commerce. 'fne object sought Tor
| could be achieved TO measurable de-
gree. as far as those Killed or Grip
Piled are Soneernea' by proper c smplpgs
these " lasa. -Aass.a been AeFn cut cali
your attention 10 the fact that dennlte
| steps toward providing old-ase pen
sions have been taken In many or 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 recent Massachusetts plan.
! To strengthen these practical measures
should De our immediate duty; IL 10 not
! at present necessary TO consider the
larger and more general governmental
schemes that most European govern
ments have found themselves Obliged
| TO adopt.
! | cali your especial attention TO the
! bulletin OF the bureau OF labor which
/ gives a statement OF the methods OF
treating the unemployed In European
countries, as this is "A subject which In
| Germany. for instance. IL treated IN
| connection with making provision Tor
worn out and crippled workmen.
| Pending thoroughgoing investlKa-
ton and action there Is certain legnla-
/ ton which should be enacted at once:
! The law. passed at the last session OF
| the congress. granting compensation TO
certain classes OF employees OF the gov.
eminent. should be made more liberal
] In It's terms. There 10 no 8OOu
/ for the distinction made in the law be-
tween those engaged In hazardous oc-
| equations and those not so engaged III
a man Is injured or killed sn any line
J Of work. IL was hazardous In his case.
Whether l per cent OF 10 per cent OF
those following a given occupation act
ually suffer Injury or death ought not
to have any bearing on the question OF
their receiving compensation IL IL a
grim logic which says to an injured
employe or TO the dependents or one
| A. h. 49, anti Cd
compensation because very few people
other than he have been injured or
killed in that occupation. perhaps one
/ OF the most striking omissions In the
law IL that IL does not embrace peace
officers and others whose lives may be
sacrificed In enforcing the Jaws or the
United States. The terms OF the act
providing compensation should be made
more liberal than In the present act.
years compensation IL not adequate for
wage-earner's family In the event OF
#, his death by accident In the course OF
/ his employment. And In the event OF
death occurring. say. 10 or Al months
after the accident the family wo ,ha
equivalent OF one or two montns earn.
ings. In this respect the generosity OF
the United States t1wards It's smpi1 9gss
OF every country In Europ~-svsn the
poorest.
The terms OF the act are also hard
ship In prohibiting payment In eases
where the accident Ia In any way due
to the negligence OF the employe. 1t Is
inevitable that daily familiarity with
that can be construed into negligence.
So well is this recognized that In prac-
tically all countries In the ciyilized
only great degree of neg
e eaxsnss COMPENSATION oGap as Probably in
state and national. so far behind prac-
tically the entire civilized world as In
the matter of liability and compensa-
tion for accidents in industry. II Is hu-
| al congresses on accidents the United
4 States should be singled out as the
most osia.s Mn among the 1sh, nst,oD; N Ts
tion.
] Abolish Court Delays.
! I also renew my recommendation
that the principle OF the eight-ho day
should as RAPIDLY and as rar a. prscth he
ing carried on by the government: the
| present law should be amended TO en-
brace contracts on those public works
| which the present wording or the act
| / most earnestly urge upon the con-
gress the duty of Increasing the totally
! Inadequate salaries now given to our
judges. On the whole there 10 no body
OF public servants who do az valuable
work. nor whose moneyed reward ID 30
inadequate compared to their work. Be-
ginning with the supreme court the
| Judges should have their saiaries dou-
bled II is not BETTING the dignity OF
the nation that Its most honored public
servants should be paid sums so small
compared TO what they would earn In
private life that the performance OF
public service by them implies an ex-
ceedingly heavy peculiarly sacrifice.
method should be devised for doing
away with the long delays which now
obtain in the administration OF justice.
and which operate with peculiar sever
ity against persons or small means. and
IS most desirable 10 punish. These long
delays In the final decisions OF cases
make In the aggregate crying evil;
and a remedy should be devised. Much
OF this intolerable delay IL due TO i'm
tproper regard paid TO technicalities
which are mere hindrance TO justice.
In some noted recent cases this over
regaSd for technicaIities has resulted In
a striking denial OF justice. and fragrant
wrong TO the body polite.
At the last election certain leaders OF
organized labor made violent and
: sweeping attack upon the entire Judi
ciary OF the country an attack couch
ed in such terms as To include the most
. Judges. no less than those OF narrower
mind and more restricted outlook. II
was the kind of attack admirably fitted
. to prevent any successful attempt to
reform abuses OF the judiciary. because
Il II gave the champions OF the unjust
Judge their eagerly desired opportunity
10 shift their ground into a champion
ship OF just judges who were unjustly
, committee on the judiciary. these same
\ labor leaders formulated their demands.
g specifying the bill that contained them.
e refusing all compromise, stating they
0 wished the principle OF that bill or
I nothing. They Insisted on provision
: that I'm labor dispute no fniuncfion