The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1908-04-02

cluding combination for mutuaf protectiou
and benefits. the regulation OF wages,
hours and conditions of labor, and the
protection of the Individual rights OF the
workmen In the prosecution of their trade
or trades: and in the act of June !, 1898,
msI same provision @ % tRst forbade "a @ partieipatson
IN or instigation of force or vioience
against persons or property, or the at
tempt to prevent others from working,
By violence, threat, or intimidation. The
business man must be protected In person
and property, and so must the farmer
and the waxevorkcr; and az regards al
alike, the right OF peaceful eombination
for all lawfai purposes should be explicitly
recognized ~
The right of employers 70 combine and
contract with one another and with their
employees should be expAeifiy recognized:
and so SHOULD the right of the employees
10 combine And to- contrast with one an
other and with the employers. and to seek
peaceably 40 persuade others 70 accept
their visws, and to strike for the purpose
OF peaasably obtaining from employers
satisfactory terms for their labor. Moth
blacklist or a boycott that woald be H.
legal at common law; this being The type
of boycott defined and condemned by the
anthracite strike commission.
Eetabiish Postal Ranles.
The question OF financial legislation is
now receiving such attention IN both
houses that we have a right 70 expect
action before the close of the session IL
ntgGSSaTy
be such action. Moreover, action should
be taken to establish postal savings banks.
These postal savings banks are knpera-
lively needed for the benefit of the wage
will be valuable adjunct 10 our whole
financial system.
Revise Tariff.
The time has come when we should pre-
pare for a revision of the tariff. This
should be, and indeed must be, preceded
by careful investigation. 1t rs peculiarly
the province of the congress and not OF
the president, and indeed peculiarly the
province of the House of Representatives,
to originate tariff bill and TO determine
upon It's terms; and this / fully realize.
Yet 1t seems to me that before the clcso
Of this session provision should be made
for collecting full material which will en-
able the congress elected next fall to act
Immediately after II comes into existence.
This would necessitate some action by
the congress at it's present session, per-
haps in the shape of directing the proper
formation, both through the committee IT.
self and through government agents who
should report to the committee and should
lay before II the facts which would per-
NIT 1t to act with prompt and intelligent
fairness. These government agents, IL 1t
Is not deemed wise to appoint individuals
from outside the public service. might
with advantage be members of the execu-
tive departments. designated by the presi-
dent on his own motion or on the request
Of the committee, to act with it.
change in the tariff could with advantage
be made forthwith. Our forests need ev-
cry protection, and one method of pro-
tecting them would lie to put upon the
free list wood pulp, with corresponding
reduction upon paper made from wood
pulp, when they come from any country
that does not put an export duty upon
them.
Waterways Commission.
Ample provision should be made for q
permanent waterways commission, with
whatever power is required to make 1t
effective. The reasonable expectation OF
the people will not be met unless the
congress provides at this session for the
beginning and prosecution of the actual
work Of waterway Improvement and con-
troll. The congress should recognize In
of the conservation of our natural re-
sources, with which this commission deals,
is literally vital for the future Of tho
nation.
on n ie hays
ernment the right to make reasonable
charge for the valuable privileges so
granted, in spite of the fact that these
water power privileges are equivalent to
many thousands of acres Of the best coal
lands for their production of power. Nor
is any definite time limit set. as should
always be done In such cases. / shall
be obliged hereafter, in accordance with
the policy stated in recent message, to
veto any water power bill which does not
provide for a time limit and for the right
of the president or of the secretary con-
cerned to fix and collect such a charge
as he may find to be just and reasonable
in each case. Theodore Roosevelt.
The White House. March Is, 1908.