The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-12-10


hor aud the status ~ the waeeworkef
60 which should like 10 draw your
! attention As far as possible ! hope
10 see frank recognition 0f the ad.
yaniages conferred by machinery. or
sntxaiion snd division of iabor ac-
companied by an effort TO bring about
larger share Ia the ownership by
wag.worker 81 railway. mill and fac
tory. In farming this simply means
that we wish 20 see the farmer own his
own land We do not wish 10 see the
farms 10 large that they become the
property 0f absentee landlords who
farm them by tenants nor yet 50 small
that the farmer becomes like Euro
peaii peasant.
The depositors IA our savings banks
now number over one.tenth ~ our en-
tire population. These are all capital
lists who through the savings banks
loan their money 60 the workers-that
Is. IN many cases TO themselves
carry on their various Industries
Postal savings banks VIII make II easy
for the poorest 10 keep their savings
| 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 II far
safer than at present for the man OF
small means 20 invest his money In
stocks. There must be prohibition Of
child labor. diminution Of woman Ia
Dor. shortening OF hours OF all me-
chanlcal labor. Stock watering should
be prohibited. and stock gambling. so
far as IL possible. discouraged. There
should be progressive Inheritance
tax on large fortunes. Industrial edu
cation should be encouraged
Protection For Wageworksrs.
There Is one matter with which the
congress should deal AT this session.
There should no longer be any palter-
Ing with the question OF taking care
of the wageworkers who, under our
present Industrial system. become kill
ed. crippled or worn out as part OF the
regular incidents Of a given business.
The object sought for could be achiev-
ed to measurable degree, as far as
those killed or crippled are concerned.
by proper employers liability laws.
As far as concerns those who have
been worn out, call your attention TO
the fact that definite steps toward pro-
viding old age pensions have been
taken In many Of our private indus
tries.
Pending a thoroughgoing investiga
tion and action there Is certain legis- |
lation which should be enacted at |
once. The law passed at the last ses-
sion of the congress granting com
pensatlon to certain classes Of EN-
ployees Of the government should be
extended to include all employees Of
the government and should be made
more liberal IN Its terms. In this re-
spect the generosity Of the United
States toward Its employees compares
most unfavorably with that OF every
country In Europe-even the poorest.
The terms of the act are also a
hardship IN prohibiting payment In
cases where the accident IL In any
way due TO the negligence Of the EN-
ployee. 1t Is Inevitable that daily fa.
mllarity with danger will lead men to
take chances that can be construed
Into negligence.
renew my recommendation made
In previous message that half holl-
days be granted during the summer to
all wageworkers In government EN-
ploy.
also renew my recommendation
thdt the principle OF the eight hour
day should as rapidly and as far as
practicable be extended to the entire
work being carried on by the govern
ment.
The Courts.
most earnestly urge upon the con-
gress the duty Of increasing the totally
inadequate salaries now given to our
judges. On the whole, there is no
body Of public servants who do as
valuable work nor whose moneyed
reward Is so inadequate compared to
their work. Beginning with the su-
preme court, the judges should have
their salaries doubled
II Is earnestly to be desired that
some method should be devised for do
Ing away with the long delays which
now obtain In the administration Of
Justice and which operate with pecul-
lar severity against persons OF small
means and favor only the very crimi-
nails whom It is most desirable to pun.
ish.
At the last election certain leaders
Of organized labor made violent and
sweeping attack upon the entire 5u-
dietary Of the country, an attack
couched In such terms as to include
the most upright, honest and broad
minded judges no less than those Of
narrower mind and more restricted
outlook. Last year before the house
committse on the judiciary these same
labor leaders formulated their de.
mands. specifying the bill that con-
tanned them. refusing all compromise.
stating they wished the principle Of
that bin or nothing. They insisted on !
a provision that In labor dispute no
Injunction should issue except to pro
tect a property right and specifically
provided that the right TO carry on !,
business should not be construed as a
right. and in a second pro- !
vision their bill made legal In labor
dispute any act or agreement by or
between two or more persons that !,
would not have been unlawfn. II done
by a single person. In other words,
this bin legalized blackiisting and boy !,
cotting in every form. The demand
was made that there should be trial /,
by jury In contempt cases. thereby I
most seriously impairing the authority !,
Of the courts. All this represented !,
course OF policy which. II carried out. !.
would mean the enforcement Of class !,
privilege Ia its crndest and most !.
brutal form and the destruction Of |,
Dnc of the most essential functions " |,