Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-09-06

endure unless the rank and file live up
to their duties, and search for such
leadership, and support it when they
| find it.
The stay at home man in a union is
just as much responsible for the sins
| Of omission and commission of his or
ganization as the stay at home man In
a city is for the civic conditions under
which he suffers and about which he
complains.
l. Improve Standard of Living.
All that can properly be done should
be done by al Of us to help upward the
standard Of living and to improve the
ability Of the average man to reach that
standard. There are still in the United
States great masses Of skilled and un'
organized labor whose conditions OF
work and living are harsh and pitiable.
! 1t is n shocking Indictment of our in
dustrial condition to be told in a mat
lcE u COuAS SC way Al " 6o'SAAAAASAS ~
port that thousands Of men In this
country are compelled to toll every day
in the week, without one day Of rest, for
| a wage Of $45 n month. Such a condi'
| ton is bad for them and in the end bad
for all Of us. Our commercial develop
ment should be heartily encouraged,
but it must not be allowed to CONNER
cialize our morals.
This opens a vitality important field
Of legislation to the national govern
ment and to the state alike. 1t Is
humiliating to think how far we Of
this country are behind most of the
| other countries in such matters. Prac-
tically all civilized countries have for
more than decade prohibited by the
strictest regulations the poisonous
match, industry, yet we had not done
anything at all until very recently to
protect the laborers against THIS hor-
rible danger. The national govern
ment made an investigation year ago
into this industry, which showed a
condition of things unspeakably shock
ing and revolving.
Legislation to prevent these abuses
was introduced in congress which was
not passed. Since then the companies
in fault have ostentatiously announced
that they have done away with the
Objectionable conditions. hope SO;
but, whether they have or not. a law
should be passed in stringent form to
prevent any possible backsliding.
employers Liability"
So it is in the matter Of injuries to
employees. In what is called "employ-
ers' liability" legislation other indus
trial countries have accepted the prin-
ciple that the industry must bear the
monetary burden Of it's human sacri-
fees and that the employee who is In
1urcd shall have a fixed and definite
sum.
The United States still proceeds on
an outworn and curiously improper
principle, in accordance with which 1t
has too often been held by the courts
that the frightful burden Of the acct
dent shall be borne in its entirety by
the very person least able to bear 1t.
Fortunately, in a number of states
in Wisconsin and in New York, for
instance-these defects in our indus
trial life are either being remedied or
else are being made a subject Of in
telligent study with view to their
remedy. In New York a bill embody-
ing moderate compensation for acct
dents has already been passed. Other
states will undoubtedly follow in the
same path.
The federal government has, 80 far
a. its own employees are concerned,
been the first to recognize and put
into shape this principle. However,
this pioneer law was not made COM
prehensive enough; it does not cover
all the employees Of the federal gov
eminent that ought to come within its
provisions, and the amount paid for
permanent disability or death is en-
tirely inadequate.
Nevertheless it was great step In
advance to have this principle Of work
ingmen's compensation accepted and
embodied in the federal statutes, and
the recent action Of congress in pro-
viding for a commission to study and
report upon the subject gives promise
that the same principle will soon be
applied to private firms that come
within the jurisdiction Of the federal
government.
Protect Women and Children.
Women and children should beyond
all question be protected, and in their
cases there can be ~ question that the
states should act. They should be par
ticular objects Of opr solicitude, and
they should be guarded in an effective
fashion against the demands Of too
greedy commercialism.
On my recent trip in the neighbor-
hood Of Scranton and Wilkesbarre
every one spoke to agreed as to the
immense improvement that had been
wrought by the effective enforcement
Of the laws prohibiting children under
the age Of fourteen years from work
ing and prohibiting women from work