The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-09-06

what is known as the Erdman act, in
!, ,rvene officially in every dispute be-
q IN interstate commerce railway
o. q oies and their employees; and
theR 6unt of good in the settlement
Of Controversies and the stopping Of
disasterous strikes that has been done
by Commissioner Neill and Chairman
Knapp cannot be overestimated.
Again, with respect to the en-
ployes who have been injured through
the negligence of the company or
some other employe of the company,
to recover compensation for their in
juries. The. old common law upon
this subject was unjust to the en-
ployes, and seemed to have been in
the interest of the employer. More
over, congress has empowered the in
terstate commerce commission to re-
quire all interstate railroads to adopt
every reasonable safety appliance in
order to reduce the deplorable loss Of
life and limb among railway employees
engaged in and about the running OF
trains.
Again, the alien contract labor law
has been passed and strictly enforced
with view to prevent the bringing in
from other countries to compete with
the settled and established labor Of
this country, pauper labor under con-
tract to serve at wages far lower than
the prevailing wage In the United
States.
FINALLY bureau of mines has Just
been established in order that by in
vestigation and research and close OBJ
servation of the practical working Of
mines, the best appliances for pre-
venting the enormous destruction Of
life that occurs from the explosion of
gases and fire In coal and other mines.
may be devised and adopted
This legislation is In the interest
and for the benefit Of q class-the
working men; but they are so large
a class, and their welfare is 80 i'm
portant to the public at large, that
while 1t might be characterized as
class legislation, 1t is greatly for the
privileged or objectional. We need,
and hope that we shall procure.
more of such legislation.
"But there is kind of legislation
to which would refer, that does
come unde rthe head Of vicious class
legislation, and hope can make the
distinction clear between this and
what have been describing. A nun-
ber of statutes have been passed in
several states against combinations or
conspiracies to restrain trade, to sup
press competition, or to maintain
prices; and there has been sometimes
an attempt to insert In such statutes
q proviso or section exempting
farmers or other classes from the op-
Grafton Of this statute, SO as to en-
able the exempt classes to corner
products and raise prices while no
other class in the community can do
so. The supreme court of the United
States has held that such law gives
an undue privilege to a particular
class in the community. creates an
unjust exemption from the operation
of useful law, denies the equal pro-
lection of the laws, violates the con-
stitution and is invalid T
again. the federal antitrust law
has been held by the supreme court
TO denounce combinations, to obstruct
or restrain interstate trade, and to
prohibit therefore illegal boycotts to
injure the interstate trade of any per-
son. At the last session Of congress,
in an appropriation bill, some $780,
900 was appropriated for the enforce
ment Of the antitrust law. To this
appropriation an amendment was pro-
posed providing that no part Of the
5000, 900 should be used In the prose-
cution OF, workmen engaged In boy
colt in violation Of the statute That
is not the way the amendment read,
but that was its necessary effect. A
majority Of the house. after q very
heated discussion rejected the amend
ment on the ground that It was VIC
ious class legislation. As matter of
fact, the money thus previously ap-
law had never been used for the pro-,
secution Of the workingmen engaged
in such boycott, because there was no
occasion for such use. and in all prob
ability the money now appropriated
will never be used for. such purpose.
But It was the proper view of the ma
jority, who voted against the amend
ment. that on principle such class
exemption or privilege should not be
declared and approved in . statute
of the government have not the
slightest expectation that the money
will ever be used for any thing but
the prosecution Of corporations and
business firms engaged In combina-
tilons in restraint Of trade; but to tie
the hands Of the executive against an
unlawful combination Of workingmen
or of any other men, II such COM
bination existed and thus make any
group or privileged class of law
breakers, IL neither Justice nor Wis
dom nor good statesmanship.
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