The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-11-25
interest of those whose interest he is
sworn by law to protect.

AhbSACol VI lhUSC WuOoC lhltltSl Ht lS
sworn by law to protect
1--WE have a mine inspection law and
a mine inspection department. We
have a law in this state limiting the
hours of labor in underground mines
a law which it was my pleasure and
privilege as attorney general of this
state to sustain the cOnstitutionality OF
in the supreme court of the United
States; and l have appointed as the five
men charged with the enforcement OF
those laws members of organized labor
men who have known of the dangers
and the trials which confront the man
who works in underground mines by
actual experience in such employment
And through the efficient manner III
which they have performed their duties
in the last twenty months we have
reduced the number of deaths and acci-
dents in underground mines thirty
three and one third per cent as com
pared with the last preceding period
! hardly think it would be necessary
to say to an audience such as this, and
| know it would not be necessary to
say it to gathering of lawyers, that
such a correction in the conduct of
public affairs may mean to some WON
en- and some families the averting of
the greatest tragedy human life can
impose.
We have also sought to enforce in
this state principle which under
take to say will receive the approval
of this audience as | believe it receives
the approval of all audiences in the
state of Missouri, and that is the prin
ciple that in this state no combination
of money or power can place itself
above the law and none can violate the
law with impunity. We have an anti
trust statute i'll this state, placed on
our statue books by an act of the leg
islature, which | produced after an eX
perence of something like two or three
years in the coal oil business. in which
| was engaged with one John d. Rookie
feler. We did not get along well to-
gether while we were running the coal
oil business in this state; but | learned
omething about it. and | learned some
thing about the coal oil monopoly.
am glad to inform You that the laws
in regard to combinations and trusts
in this state do not apply to combna
tions of laboring men as it does to the
monopolies which are formed for the
purpose of increasing the cost of living
to those who have to live by honest
toll.
Il do not wish to convey to you the
impression that there exists here ideal
conditions. or that we have by any
means arrived at utopian conditions of
life in the relations between the EN-.
ployer and the employe. We have still
room for advancement, and / trust the
deliberations of thil convention will
open up many lines of Improvement,
There are many lines that appeal to
such an organization as yours. There
is the question of whether it shall un-
dertake general propaganda looking
to the advocacy of some new theory
of society or industry, the propaganda
for changed conditions in which differ
ent rules shall apply for the distribu-
ton of the wealth that is so largely
the result of labor There is the other
proposition that comes before any or
ganization such as this, the proposition
as to whether they shall undertake the
accomplishment of progressive results
through the advocacy of certain con
crete measures that in themselves will
work certain and definite improve
ment in the conditions of thos whom
they represent and for whose welfare
they are principally concerned.
81 have had occasion as a practicing
LAWYER as the chief law officer of this
state and as the chief executive officer
of the state, to have my attention di-
rected to and to become interested in
a proposition | consider as second to
none in Importance to the laboring men
in this country. | refer to the in
adequacy of our present system for
compensating those who are injured in
the conduct of modern industrialism
Perhaps, to state it more clearly, the
reduction of the dangers and the in
iuries incident to the modern system
of industrialism; because, to my mind
what the laboring men of this country
primarily are interested in is not sc
much the question of recovering com
pensation for the injuries they may
suffer, or providing system by which
those dependent for support upon the
labor of others can secure compensa
ton for their deaths; but BY provid
| ing such a just, such prompt and sucl