Weekly journal-miner., 1908-12-16

and instruments by which all work k carried on. As far as possible [ hope to see a frank recognition of the ad vantages conferred by machinery, or gnniZat.0n. and division of lahor, ac companied by an effort Co bring about larger share in the ownership by wage-worker of railway. mill. and factory. In farming, this simply means that we wish tO see the farmer own his own land We do not wish tO see the farms SO large that they be come the property of absentee land lords who farm them by tenants, nor yet go small that the farmer becomes like European peasant Again, the depositors in our savings banks now number over Onc.tenth of our entire population. These are all capitalists. who through the savings banks loan their money to the workers that is, in many eases to thcmsclvcs--to carry on their various industries. The more We incrcafc their number. the more we introduce the principles of coop. eration into our industry. Every in. crease in the number of small stock. holders in corporations k a good thing for the same reasons; and where the
 
 suit is particularly good Very much Of this movement must he outside oi anything that can be accomplished by
 legislation; but legislation can do . good deal. Postal savings banks will
 make it easy for the poorest to keep their savags in absolute safety. The
 regulation of the national highways must be such that they shall serve all people with equal justice. Corporate finances must be supervised so as to make it far safer than at present for the man of small means to invest his money in stocks There must be pro hibition of child labor. diminution of woman labor, shortening of hours of all mechanical labor; stock watering should be prohibited, and stock gamh. ling SO far as is possible discouraged. There should he a progressive inncri t1nce tax on large fortunes. Indus. trial education should he encouraged. AS far ns possible we should Tighten the burden of taxation on the small
 man. We should put a premium upon thrift, hard work. and business en- crgy: but these qualities cease to hc
 the main factors in accommodating e fortune long before that fortune
 reaches point where it would be seriously affected by any inheritance tax such as ! propose. lt is cmineutly [ right that the Nation should hN the terms upon which the great fortunes are inherited. They rarely do good
 and they often do harm to those who ! inherit them in their entirety.
 Protection for wagoworke-s.
 ..I sa t.. NaFa n i hardly even sketch in outline. of ta,
 reforms for which we should work | But there is one matter with whicl the Congress should deal nt this SCI
 sion. There should no longer he an,
 palterng with the question of takinl
 care of the wage workers who. unde our present industrial system, becom killed. crippled, or worn out as par of the regular incidents of givei
 business. The majority of wagework
 CTS must have their rights secured fo them by State action; but the Nation
 al Government should legislate q thoroughgoiug and rreaching fasi
 ion not only for all employees of th National Government. hut for all pei sons engaged in interstate commerce
 The object sought for could be achie' cd 10 a measurable degree. ns far a those killed or crippled are concerned . bv proper employers liability law Az far as concerns those who nav been worn out. call your attentio 10 the fact that definite steps towar - providing oid.agc pensions have bee ' taken in many of our private indu tries. Taese may bc indefinitely q b tended through voluntary associatio E and contributory schemes, or throup I' the agency of savings banks, as und, c the recent Massachusetts plan. t strengthen these practical measur r. snonld be our immediate duty; it |" not at present necessary to eonsid e inc larger and more general gover E. mental schemes that most Europe '' governments have found themsclv e obliged to adopt.
 " Our present system, or rather " system. works dreadful wrong. and " of benefit to only one class Of peoI V, the lawyers. When workman " in jured what he needs IS not m n' pensive and doubtful lawsuit. hut { 'n certainty of relief through immcdia
 administrative action. The numt P of accidents which result in the dea
 or crippling of wageworkers, m <. e Union at large, is simply appailir ss in very few years it runs up to VI far in excess of the aggregate Of 'n dead and wounded in any modern W Y. No academic theory about freed 'e' of contractn or constitutional hho erty Co contract" should be permit n' to interfere with this and simi .n movements. Progress in elvil,Hat ~ has everywhere meant hmitat "' and regulation of contract.
 Pending s thoroughgoing investi ng tion and action there is certain lel ye. Iation wnicn should be enacted ,w once. The law, passed at the last is. sion of the Congress, granting C as. pensation to certain classes of ,d. ployes of the Government, should nd, extended to include ah employees m. the Government and should be m de. more liberal in its terms, There IS tes good ground for the distinction m the In the law between those engaged CT ha1a rdous occupations and those
 to so engaged IT man is injured
 s IA.