The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-29
business OF the country. the million
and q half Of their employees AND the
v~,titnr re <hafr s~fuckhoiders the i'm

million of their stockholders. the i'm
portanf e OF their purchasing power as
affecting the prosperity of general
business-alI require in the public in
terest that no unfair treatment should
be accorded them. But I am glad
to note that the railway managers
have acquiesced In fairness of the
present bill. and propose loyalty to
comply with its useful provisions. II
was supported by the whole Repub-
| lican party In Congress. and that par
ty is entitled to credit for Its passage.
The whole Democratic strength vas
| exhibited against 1t In both houses.
1t was a performance Of a pledge of
the platform, n only needs time to
vindicate the wisdom OF its enact
ment.
Postal Savings Banks.
The postal savings bank bill has a
similar history. 1t is of the great
congressional enactments. 1t creates
an epoch. 1t institutes a system which
will work effectively to promote thrift
among the poor. by providing a depos-
itory for their savings which they
properly may consider absolutely safe,
n will also turn into the channels of
trade and a large volume
of one which otherwise would be
boarded. BY specific provision It will
stimulate the investment of savings in
government bonds of small denomina-
tons, 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 Pres
ident.
The legislation OF Congress in re-
spect to the Navy Department is a full
compliance with the promises of the
Republican platform. In spite OF a
| proper desire to keep down appropria-
tons. Congress saw the necessity for
a continuance of our present naval
policy and a regular strengthening of
the navy by the addition of tvs more
battleships. More than this, IL has
enabled the Secretary OF the Navy to
carry out a reform in the business
management of the department and a
reorganization of the bureaus and taft
of the a ~ so an to contribute ma
terially to its effectiveness az one of
the military arms of the government.
Although the Democratic national
platform apparently favored the in
crease In the navy, a large majority
of the Democrats both in the House
and the Senate opposed the policy
Mhen- presented in form of con-
crete legislation.
Legislation Tor IaDOf.
The Republican party. at the last
session of Congress. again exhibited
its deep n sincere interest in the
general welfare of the workingmen
and women of the country by adding
important enactments to its already
long record of legislation on his sub
Ject. Practically all classes of en-
pfoyes. especially those engaged in
occupations more or less hazardous,
are the bene1ciaries OF laws which
should operate to tighten the burdens
which naturally fall upon the shout
ders of man. The Republican party
recognized the necessity of reducing
the dangers under which hundreds OF
thousands of miners work by Great
ing the Bureau OF Mines. This bill
was passed for the purpose of estab-
fishing an efficient government instru-
ment for investigation. examination
and report to the world of the kind
OF safety appliances that will prevent
the awful losses OF life in the opera
ton of mines, and especially of coal
mines. A second purpose of the bureau
is to perform the same office In re-
spect to the great industry of mining
that the Department OF Agriculture
performs In respect to the farming in
terests OF the country-that is. by ex-
&NN - ~ tkEI-
mine the o effective methods Of
mining and the best means of avoid
ing the depiorab ewsste mfw INF w
ing the depiorable waste that now
obtains In the present mining meth
DDS.
No more important legislation in the
interest of human life has ever been
enacted by Congress than the laws of
the recent session giving to the In
terstate Commerce Commission ampfer
powers to define the needed safety ap-
pliances for the prevention OF accidents
TO employees and passengers. and. after
a hearing. to require their adoption
by Interstate railways. Other legis-
iation, with respect TO the inspection
OF locomotive boilers and the remova
OF dangerous overhead distractions,
awaits the consideration OF the next
session OF this Congress-. and / hope
that II may speedily be passed. The
employers liability act was perfected
by needed amendment SO as to enable
injured employees more easily TO re-
cover just damages.
step taken in the interest of the worker
was the creation OF a congressional
commission to report a practical bill
for the fixing OF workmen's compen
sation for injuries received in h en-
pioyment of interstate rail-
ways, IS risks In the business to be
fixed by speedy arbitration and to be
graduated according to the extent of
the law authorizing the band issue
of the injured person This is impor-
tant. not only as affecting interstate
railways. but. IL adopted, as
furnishing a mode to the country for
a beneficial change in the legal rela-
tion between employee and employer.
This reform would put an n TO the
vexatious n costly litigation through
which an injured employee must go in
order to o damages-litigation
which, or account of the poverty of
the employee. frequently serves to de-
feat the ends of justice, and in other
instances lead to exorbitant and un-
just verdicts.
Importance Of Conservation.
One of the great questions which has
been made a national issue and aroused
public interest through the insistence
of President Roosevelt is that Of con-