New-York tribune., 1912-02-03

ference, TO he held at Washington or else
where the Congress provide an dppIoPIId-
tion not 10 exceed 10000. to dctray the
expenses of preparation ana oi PdIuN'P'
ton by the United States. ~ ,t.
The numerous investigations ON inc SUI
ject official or other, already mdde ~ var
Ous countries (suCh as Austria, BelGiu'l
Canada Denmark. France. Germany. Great
Rritain Italy. the Netherlands ana tne
United States have themselves SuohSi.
demonstrated the need OF further study ol
world wide scope. Those who have con
ducted these Investigations nave found that
the phenomenon OF rising prices IS almost
II not quite general throughout the Woild:
but they are baffied in the attempt To trate
the causes by the impOSsibility of making
any accurate international comparisons
This is because. in spite OF thc humoer 0I
Investigations already made We are sun
without ADEQUATE data ana because as yet
no two countries estimate their price levels
on the same basis or by the same methodS
As already indicated. the preliminary con-
ference itself would entail a comparatively
small expense and most OF the SuDSequcHl
investigations for which il would prepar"
the way could he carried out by existing
bureaus in This and other governments as
part OF their regular work and would re-
Quirc little. If any. addinohal aPpIopId-
tions for such bureaus.
Commission on Industrial Relations
The extraordinary growth of industry IN
the past two decades and its revolutionary
tions as to the relations between employers
and wage oarncrs which have become mat
ters OF pressing public concern. InGse
questions have been somewhat ObScured Dy
the profound changes in the relations ne
tween competing producers and producers
as class and COnSumerS-ln othcF "oIdS
nv the changes which, among other re
suits have given rise to what is commonly
called the trust problem. The iaIgc-SCaIe
production characteristic OF modern indus
try however. involves the one set OF reIa-
tions no less than the other. Any nteirup-
tion to the normal and peaceful relations
between employer and wage Garner IN
wolves public discomfort and in many cases
public disaster Such Interruptions become
therefore. quite AS much a matter OF puhhc
concern az restraint Of trade or monopoly.
Industrial relations concern the public Tor
a double reason We are directly inter
ested in the maintenance of peaceful and
our own comfort and welbenC: but society
is equally interested, In its sovereign civic
capacity in seeing that our institutions
are effectively maintaining justice and fair
dealing between any classes OF citizens
whose economic interests may seem to
clash Railway strikes on such a scale as
has recently been witnessed IN France and
IN England. strike OF coal mine workers
such as we have more than once witnessed
i'm this country and such wholesale rC-
inuuishing OF a public service as that OF
the street cleaners recently in New York
illustrate the serious danger to public we'll
being and the inadequaCy Of the existing
social machinery either to prevent such 0c-
currences or 10 adjust them on an equitable
and permanent basis after they have
arisen.
In spite of the frequency with which w
are exposed to these dangers and In spite
of the absence of provision for dealing with
Them We continue TO assume with easy
going confidence that IN eacn new case.
somehow or other, the parties Ia the dis
pute will find some solution which viii be
agreeable to themselves and consistent
l,. mi a.
grave objections to strikes and lOCkouts,
however necessary they may be I'm cXtrcm"
cases. and are ready TO criticlsc thr
morc extreme UhasCc Of the Industrial
conflict such as boycotts and blacklists. bur
we leave the situation such that industrial
disputes lead inevitably to a state Of in
dustrlal war i'm which tb"Sc are the only
weapons left to the two rOmba atanfs. No omOrc
clumsy or expensive method of determin-
ing the rate of wages and hours and cOudi-
tions Of labor could well b" devised. The
successful operation Of the Erdnan act as
between interstate railroads and their cm-
plOycs, shows how much good can be- done
by proper legislation.
Numerous special Investigations, official
and unofficial. have revealed conditions I'm
more than ono industry which nav" i'm
mediately been recognized on all sides as
entirely out Of harmony with accepted
American standards. II Is DIObalc that >
q great extent the rcmcdiC. Tor these con-
ditOns, so far as the rcmcnicg involve leg
iSldtiOU, lie ~ the Held of state action. but
such a comprehensive inquiry as is ucccs-
Sary To furnish a basis Tor Intelligent ac-
ton must be undertaken on national initia-
tive and must be nationwide iu its scope
In view Of the results that hay" followed
the activities Of the federal government il
education in agriculture and IN other fields
which do not lie primarily within the field
of federal legislation there can be no scri-
Gus argument against the pTOpTictN or the
wisdom of an inquiry by the federal gov
crnmcnt into the general conditions o..
labor In the United Statesg notwithstanding
the fact that some Of the remedies viii lie
with the separate states, or even entirely
outside the sphere Of governmental activ.
10y, In the hands OF private individuals ana
of voluntary agencies. ono legitimate OBJ
jeCt Of such an official investigation and
report is TO onlightrn and inform public
opinion, which of itself will often induce or
compel the reform Of unjust conditions o,
the abatemCpt of unreasonable demands.
The special investlGatiOns that have been
made Of recent industrial conditions,
whether private or official, ha We been flag
mentaTy, incomplete, and Al best only
partly representative or typical. Their les
sons, nevertheless, are important and uu-
til something comprehensive and adequate
il available they serve "A useful purpose
and they will necessarily continue TO he
made. But unqucstionaby the time is now
ripe for searching inquiry into the sub
ieCt of Industrial relations which shall he
official authoritative. balanced and well
rounded such as only the federal govern
mcnt can successfully undertake. The pTee-
cnt widespread interest in the subject
vcs,igation. which in any event cannot long
he postponed. II should b" partisan,
comprehensive, thorough, patient and cou-
TaGeOGs.
There is already available mucn informa-
ton on certain aspects of the subject i'm
the reports Of the federal and state bu-
ICauS Of labor and in other official and un-
OfiiCial publications. one essential mart of
the proposed inquiry would naturally be to
assemble. digest and interpret this infor-
nation 50 far as II bears upon our present
industrial conditions. In addition to this
the commission should indt,re into the gen
eral conditions of labor I'm our principal In
dUstrics into the existing relations between
employers and employees In those industries
irtO the various methods which have been
tried for maintaining uutuallv satisfactory
relations between employees and employers
and for avoiding or adjusting trade dis
puates, and into the scope, methods and re-
sources of federal and state bureaus Of
labor and the methods ~ which they might
more adequately meet tho responsibilities
which. through the work Of the commission
above recommended would be more clearly
brought to light and defined.
Misbrsndne Imported Goods.
My attention has been called to the i'm
Justice which Is done In this country by the
sale OF articles i'm the trade purporting TO
he made in Ireland. when they arc not so
made. and II is suggested that the Justice
Of the enactment of law which. so far as
the iurisdiction Of tho federal government
can go, would prevent a continuance of this
misrepresentation TO the public and fraud
upon those who are entitled to use the
statement in the sale Of heir goods I
think II 10 be greatly I'm tho interest Of fair
dealing, which ought always to bc en-
Couraged by law, for Congress- TO enact a
law making IL "A misdemeanor. pun!shs bic
! by fine or imprisonment. 20 use IN" malls
% 10 put into interstate commerce any ar
ticles Of merchandise which hear upon their
face a statement that they have been man
ufactured In some particular country when
the fact Is otherwise
Building for Public Archives.
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