The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-12-15
Energy Of the Human Life Should be
Conserved; Speakers Commended Trusts

NEW YORK, Dec. 15.-Trusts were
commended by speakers at the Acad-
envy of Political Science, the conser-
walton Of human life and energy be-
ing advanced as more important to
tn ewelfare of the country than any
thing else. 1t was argued that the
great corporations gave more thought
and money to the protection Of en-
ployes against accidents and to by
gienic conditions in the factories that
small employers did or were able to
do.
I'VE have counted it our good for
tune said Professor Irving Fisher.
Of Yale, ito dwell in land where ma
ture has been so prodigal that We
have not needed to fear want. We are
only beginning to realize that this
very prodigality of nature has pro-
duced spirit of prodigality in men.
1T is the purpose Of the conserva-
ton movement to rebuke and correct
this national trait and the resources
of science are now concentrated in
this mighty effort in that direction.
"The conservation of human life
will, l believe, constitute the grandest
movement of the twentieth century.
Not only do human beings consti-
tute by far the greatest part of our
natural resources, but the waste of
h,,v fo Oth jc NV 70 ho
greatest of all wastes. In the report OF
President Roosevelt's conservation
commission, although his commission
was primarily appointed to conserve
our national rather than our vital re-
sources. it was pointed out that hui
man beings. considered as capitalized
working power, are worth three to
five times all our other capital and
that, even on very moderate esti-
mate, the total waste of unnecessary
loss Of our national vitality amounts
to one and one-half billions of dollars
a year.
THE premature employment of chill
dren, especially if, as is usually the
case, they are overfatigued, means a
shameful sacrifice in the working eff
cheney of the budding generation. And
the employment, under improper con-
ditions of women, especially married
women, means an even more serious
waste of life and strength for future
generations.
adjustments come slowly, even in
these times of rapid change, and the
slowest adjustment of all is the ad-
justment of these legal conditions
which it is one of the purposes of this
institution to study. When we consid-
err that many of our judges still de-
clare that the laws passed to restrict
the labor of women are unconstitu-
ty law books of the past (the heritage
of the unsanitary ages of the past)
there can be found no precedents to
justify a discrimination between men
and women, we realize how sadly the
law Is behind he times, and how dear
ly we have to pay him for the neglect
of our ancestors to recognize by pro-
per legal usages the physiological diff
ference between man and woman.
1--WE need industrial hygiene in ex-
cry department of industry, but par
ticularly in certain dangerous trades
We need to follow the examples Of
Germany and other countries in pro-
viding greater safeguards against ac
cidents on railways and in factories.
How little we as nation as yet ap-
preciate the value of modern hygiene
is illustrated by the fact that con-
siderable number of our citizens can
be misled into believing that nation
al department of health would endan-
ger freedom So long as we allow
freedom to stunt the growth of our
children. to adulterate the foods
which we eat. to advertise immoral
and unhygienic nostrums. so long will
we continue our high death rate and
disease rate
I'm my opinion. the salvation of la
Dor lies largely in industrial hygiene,
and so far as labor unions help indus
trial hygiene they deserve the COM
mendation of all who have the good Of
humanity at heart.
"Continual fatigue is inimical to ma
tional vitality, and however it may af-
feet the commercial profits of the in
dividual, it will in the end deplete the
national resources on which the ma
tional efficiency depends. Many of our
railway accidents are traceable to
overfatigue through very long hours Of
work, and statistics show that acct
dents to employees in factories in
crease hapidly as late hours of the ev-
ening approach"
Professor Fisher said he was one of
those who did not believe in the dis
ruption of trusts. He found that
through self-interest they were better