New-York tribune., 1910-08-29


section permitting the making OF traffic |
agreements between competing railroads
limited in point of time and subject mat
ter and subject to the approval OF the
Interstate Commeece Commission
These amendments were In accordance
with the text of the Republican plat
form Subsequently, bills were drawn |
embodying this recommended legislation |
in which, while the principle was main
tanned. there were limitations introduced, |
as justice suggested, after conference
with all the parties interested. The bill
was submitted TO the Congress, and after |
a great deal of discussion, both in the |
House and the Senate, it was enacted |
into law, with many amendments which
did not materially change the effect of
the recommendations except to strike out
certain provisions promised in the Re |
publican platform. to permit traffic |
agreements between railways in spite Of |
the antitrust law, to forbid one railway
company to acquire stock in q competing
company, and to secure supervision by |
the Interstate Commerce Commission of |
the issue of stocks and bonds by inter- |
state railways.
For this last was substituted a pro- /
vision authorizing the appointment of q |
commission to consider the evils arising |
from the overissue of stocks and bonds |
and the methods of preventing such !
evils by Congressional regulation In |
addition to the purposes already recited |
long and short haul clause of the exist |
ing law-the one forbidding the charging |
of a greater rate for a less distance in |
Guided in the greater distance than for
the greater diStance-waS amended so as |
to vest in the commission somewhat |
wider discretion in enforcing the clause |
than has been permitted by the Supreme |
Court decisions under existing law. More /
over, interstate telegTaphS and telephones. |
as instruments of commerce, have been
brought within the regulation of the COM !
mission. The bill as at present in force !
is an excellent bill. 1t is not enacted in |
spirit OF hostility to railroads, but it sub |
mits them to d closer and more effective |
supervision by the Interstate Commerce |
Commission to avoid injustice in their
management and control.
The important part that railways play |
as the arterial circulation in the busi- |
ness Of the country, the million and a |
half Of their employees and the million of
their stockholders, the Importance of |
their purchasing power as affecting the |
prosperity of general business-all re-
ouire in the public interest that no un-
fair treatment should be accorded them. |
But I am glad to note that the railway
managers have acquiesced in the fair |
ness of the present bill, and propose 10y
ally to comply with its useful provisions
1t was supported by the whole Repub- |
lican party in Congress, and that party |
is entitled to credit for its passage. The |
whole Democratic strength was exhib-
tied against it in both houses. 1t was |
performance Of a pledge of the platform
and only needs time to vindicate the |
| wisdom of its enactment.
Postal Savings Banks.
The postal savings bank bill has sim
liar history. 1t is one of the great Con-
greSSional enactments. 1t creates an |
epoch. 1t institutes a system which Will
work effectively to promote thrift among
! the poor by providing depository for
| their savings which they properly may
consider absolutely safe, and will also
turn into the channels Of trade and COM
merce large volume of money which
otherwise would be boarded. By spe-
cific provision it will stimulate the in
vestment Of savings in government
bonds of small denominations, for which
the bill provides. Like the tariff bill
and the railroad bill, this was put
through each house Of Congress by a
Republican majority and was signed by
a Republican President.
The legislation Of Congress in respect
to the Navy Department is a full COM
pliance with the promises of the Repub-
lican platform. In spite of a proper de-
sire to keep down appropriations, Con-
gress saw the necessity for q continu-
ance OF our present naval policy and a
regular strengthening of the navy by
the addition Of two more battleShfpS.
More than this. it has enabled the Sec
retary of the Navy to carry out re-
form in the business mana cement of the
department and a reorganization of the
bureaus and staff of the navy so as to
contribute materially to its effectiveness
as one of the military arms of the gov
ernment. Although the Democratic ma
tional platform apparently favored the
increase in the navy. a large ma jority of
| the Democrats, both in the House and
the Senate, opposed the policy when pre-
sented in the form of concrete legisla-
| ton.
Labor Legislation.
The Republican party at the last ses-
| sion Of Congress again exhibited its deep
| and sincere interest in the general well
! fare OF the working men and women Of
! the country by adding important enact
| ments to its already long record of leg
| islation on this subject. Practically all
| classes Of employees especially those en-
gagged in occupations more or less haz-
ardous, are the beneficiaries Of laws
| which should operate to tighten the bur
dens which naturally fall upon the
| shoulders of man. The Republican
! party recognized the necessity Of reduc-
| ing the dangers under which hundreds
| of thousands of miners work by ere
ating the Bureau of Mines. This bill
| was passed for the purpose Of establish
/ ing an efficient governmental instrument
! for investigation, examination and re-
! port to the world of the kind of safety
| appliances that will prevent the awful
/ losses Of life in the operation Of mines,
/ and especially of coal mines. A second
! purpose OF the bureau is to perform the
| same Office in respect TO the great in
dustry Of mining that the Department
! Of Agriculture performs In respect to
| the farming interests OF the country
! that is. by experiment and investigation
| TO determine the most effective methods
! of mining and the best means of avoid
! ing the deplora BILE waste that now OBJ
/ tains in the present mining methods.
No more important legislation in the
| interest Of human life has ever been en-
acted by Congress than the laws Of the
! recent session giving TO the Interstate
! Commerce Commission ampler powers TO
/ define the needed safety appliances for
| the prevention OF accidents to employees
and passengers. and, after a hearing, to
| require their adoption by interstate rail-
ways. Other legislation with respect TO
the inspection Of locomotive boilers and
! the removal of dangerous overhead OBJ
structions awaits the consideration of
| the next session of this Congress- and I
| hope that it may speedily be passed
! The employers liability act was per-
/ fected by needed amendment SO as to
enable injured employees more easily to
recover just damages.
But in one sense the most forward
! step taken in the interest of the worker
| was the creation of a Congressional
1 commission to report a practical bill for
| the fixing Of workmen's compensation
! for injuries received in the employment
/ 0f raj