Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-01-31


the government should be shown. |
Our proposition is not to confer a
right Of action upon the government
employee, but to secure him suitable
provision against injuries received in
the course of his employment. The
burden of the trade risk should be
placed upon the government. Exact
" as the workingman is entitled to
his wages, SO he should be entitled
to indemnity for the injuries sustain
ed in the natural course of his la
Dor. The rates of compensation and
the regulations for its payment
shauld be specified in the law, and
the machinery for determining the
amount to be paid should in each
case be provided in such manner
that the employee is properly repre-
sented without expense to him. In
other words the compensation
should he paid automatically. while
the application of the law in the first
instance should be vested i'm the de-
J partment of commerce and labor.
The law should apply to all laborers,
| mechanics. and oher civilian en-
ployees of the government OF the
United states, including those In the
service of the Panama canal COM
mission and of the insula- govern
| ments.
\ The same broad principle which
should apply to the government
! should ultimately be made apph-
| cable to all private employers.
Need of Injunction Law.
| The president says that where the
nation has the power 1t should enact
such laws and where the states nave
the power they should provide law
| These should not be taken to mean
the employees will be mulcted Tor
damages but that they will have the
burden of accident insurance against
| injuries which are sure to occur. he
calls attention to a special bill which
| Secretary Taft recommended pro-
vIding for damages to be paid gov
ernment employees who may be IN
| iured while working on the Panama
canal, and asked congress to pass the
bill, appro piiating 100000 each
year for this "urposc. He continues:
again call your attention to the
need of some action in connection
with the abuse of inJunctons in Ia
Dor cases. AS regards the rights and
wrongs of labor and capital, from
subject is covered in admirable
fashion by the report of the Anthra-
cite Coal Strike commission, which
report should serve as a chart for
the guidance of both legislative and
! executive officers. AS regards in
functions, / can do little but repeat
yhsft I have said in INV last message
TO the congress. Even though 1t
were possible, ! should consider II
most unwise to abolish the use of
the process of injunction. 1t is
necessary in order that the courts
: may maintain their own dignity and
| in order that they may in effective
= manner check disorder and violence.
The Judge who uses IL cautiously
and conservatively, but who, when
l the need arises, uses IL fearlessly,
: confers the greatest service upon
our people, and his preeminent use
fulness as a public servant should be
heartily recognized. But there Is no
l question in my mind that it has
= sometimes been used heedlessly ana
3 unjustly, and that some OF the IN
$ functions issued inflict grave and
= occasionally irreparable wrongs up
on those enjoined.
Not only should there be action or
certain laws affecting wageearners
d there should also be such action or
laws better to secure control over
o the great business concerns IN IN
: terstate commerce, and especially
over the great common carriers
: The interstate commerce commission
y should be empowered to pass upor
S any rate or practice on its own I'M
n tiative. Moreover il should be pro
s yfded that whenever the commission
has reason to believe that propos
ed advance in a rate ought not tC
y be made without Investigation, j
= should have authority to issue an or
It der prohibiting the advance pendins
II examination by the commission.
II l would not be understood as eN
II pressing an opinion that any or ever
n a majority of these advances are I'm
II proper. Many of the rates in thl
e country have been normally low
e The operating expenses of our ran
= roads, notably the wages paid ran
Is road employees, have greatly IN
le creased. These and other cause
lie in any given case justify an advanc
n in rates. and If so the adyanc
l. should be permitted and approved
Rut there may be, and doubtless are
cases WnGTb llllS - liNl - ~ e'''N
l. law should be 80 framed that IN
l. government. as the representative o
lie the whole people, can protect the IN
s. dividual against unlawful eXacto
lie for the use Of these public highways
rs The interstate commerce commission
m should be provided with the mean
IS to make a physical valuation OF an
J. road as to which il deems this val
L uation necessary. In some form IN
at federal government should eXercIs
te SUPERVISION over the financial opera
J. tions of our industrial railroads. !
he no other way can justice be done be
III tween the private owners of thos
ly properties and the public which pa
er their charges. When once an inhat
ne ed capitalization has gone upon IN
c. market and has become fixed !
rs value, its existence must be recoe
lg nized As a practical matter II
"a L. ,Fa.f.r