The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-03-25

i f1ttANta LIS fcA9 wealthy ANNa'tr,'7
employer and still more the very
wealthy corporation, stand at an
enormous advantage when cow >ared
to the individual workingmall. ana
while there are many cases where u
may not be necessary for laborers g
form union, IN many other casesit i
Z Indispensable, for otherwise the thou
sands Of small units. the thousands q
individual worlxingmen, will be left
helpless in their dealings with the one
big unit, the big individual or corporate
employer.
Trades Unions.
Twenty-Five years ago. by the act Of
June 20, 1896, trades unions were rec
ognized by law, and the right Of la
boring people to combine for all lawful
purposes was formerly recognized, this
right including combination for mutual
protection and benefits, the regulation
of wages. hours and conditions Of la
Dor and the protection OF the individual
rights or the worSmen IN the prosecu-
tion of their trade or trades, and in the
act Of June /. 1893. strikes were rec
ognized as legal in the same provision
that forbade participation In or instiga-
tion OF force or violence against per-
sons or property or the attempt to pre-
vent 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 wageworlzer, and as regards all
alike the right Of peaceful combination
for all lawful purposes should be ex-
plicitly recognized.
Right to Combine Recognized.
The right Of employers to combine
and contract with one another and
with their employees should be expiic-
lilly recognized. and so should the right
OF the employees to combine and TO
contract with one another and with
the employers and to seek peaceably TO
persuade others to accept their Views
and to strike for the purpose OF peace
ably obtaining from employers salts
factory terms for their labor. Nothing
should be done to legalize either a
blacklist or boycott that would be
Illegal at common law, this being the
type Of boycott defined and condemned
BY the anthracite strike commission.
Financial Legislation.
The question Of financial legislation
Is now receiving such attention in both
houses that we have right to expect
action before the close of the session
1t Is urgently necessary that there
should be such action Moreover, ac-
ton should be taken to establish postal
savings banks. These postal savings
banks are ifnperatlveIy needed for the
benefit Of the wageworkers and men
OF small means and will be valuable
adjunct TO our whole financial system.
Time For Tariff Revision.
The time has come when we should
prepare for revision Of the tariff.
This should be. and indeed must be.
preceded by careful investigation. II
is peculiarly the province Of the CON
gress and not Of the president. and in.
deed peculiarly the province OF the
house Of representatives to originate
tariff bin and to determine upon It's
terms, and this fully realize. Yet I'll
seems to me that before the close Of
this session provision should be made
for collecting full material which will
enable the congress elected next fall
to act Immediately after II comes into
existence. This would necessltate some
action BIZ the congress at its present
session, perhaps in the shape Of direct
ing the proper committee to gather the
necessary information, both through
the committee itself and through gov
eminent agents who should report to
the committee and should lay before ii
the facts which would permit It to act
with prompt and intelligent fairness. (
These government agents, II it is not
deemed wise to appoint individuals
from outside the public service, might
with advantage be members Of the ex-
ecutive departments, designated by the
president on his own motion or on the /
request Of the committee to act with it
For Free Wood Pulp.
am Of the opinion, however. that
one change In the tariff could with adj
vantage be made forthwith. Our for.
ests need every protection, and one
method Of protecting them would be
to put upon the free list wood pulp, I
with a corresponding reduction upon
paper made from wood pulp when they
come from any country thar does not
put an export duty upon them.
Permanent Waterways Commission.
Ample provision should lie made for
I permanent waterways commission,
with whatever power Is required to
make It effective. The reasonable ex-
pectation Of the people win not be met
unless the congress provides at this
session for the beginning and pr0secu-
lion Of the actual work OF waterway
Improvement and control The con
yress should recognize In fullest fash
ION the fact that the subject Of the
Of our natural resources
with which this commission deals il
literally vital for the future Of the ma
ion
National Watsr Power.
Numerous bills granting water pow
sr rights on nayigablc streams have
been introduced None Of them give
be government the right to make
reasonable charge for the valuable PRIV
leges SO granted, in spite Of the fact
hat these water power privileges are
equivalent to many thousands Of acres