The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-02-08

.
direct method for Federal control,
and in view of the probable union
and systematic organization and weld
ing together of the power derived
from water within a radius of 800 or
400 miles, think 1t better that the
power of control should remain in
the national government than that
1t should be turned over to the states.
Under such a system the Federal gov
eminent would have such direct SUI
pervision of the whole matter that
any honest administration could cas-
lily prevent the abuses which monop-
oily of absolute ownership in private
persons or companies would make
possible.
Bureau Of National Parks.
earnestly recommend the estab-
lishment of bureau of national parks.
Such legislation is essential to the
proper management of those wondrous
manifestations of nature, so startling
and so beautiful that every one rec
ognizes the obligations of the govern
ment to preserve them for the edifica-
ton and recreation of the people. The
Yellowstone park, the Yosemite, the
Grand Canyonrof Colorado, the Glacier
National park, and the Mount Rainer
National park and others furnish APP
propriate instances. In only one case
have we made anything like adequate
preparation for the use Of park by
the public. That case is the Yellow
stone National park Every consider
alton of patriotism and the love of ma
.ture and of beauty and of art requires
us to expend money enough to bring
all these natural wonders within easy
reach of our people. The first step
in that direction is the establishment
of a responsible bureau which shall
take upon itself the burden of super
vising the parks and of making recon-
mendations as to the best method OF
improving their accessibility and use
fulness.
Commission on Cost Of Living.
For some years past the high and
steadily increasing cost Of living has
been a matter of such grave public
! concern that ! deem 1t Of great public
, interest that an international confer
snce be proposed at this time for the
purpose of preparing plans, to be sub
mitted to the various governments, for
an International inquiry into the high
cost Of living, its extent, causes, eff
fects, and possible remedies. | there
fore recommend that, to enable the
president to invite foreign govern
ments to such a conference, to be held
at Washington or elsewhere, the con-
press provide an appropriation, not TO
exceed $20,0 900, to defray the expenses
of preparation and of participation by
the United States.
Those countries that have conduct
ed Investigations have found that the
phenomenon Of rising prices is almost
II not quite general throughout the
world: but they are bafied in the at
tempt to trace the causes by the i'm
possibility of making any accurate in
ternational comparisons. This is be
cause, in spite Of the number of in
vestigations already made, we are still
without adequate data and because as
yet no two countries estimate their
price levels on the same basis or by
the same methods.
AS already indicated, the prelimin
airy conference itself would entail a
comparatively small expense, and mos
of the subsequent Investigations fol
which it would prepare the way coulC
be carried out by existing bureaus in
this and other governments as part oil
their regular work and would require
little. If any. additional appropriations
for such bureaus.
Commission on Industrial Relations
The extraordinary growth of indus
try in the past two decades and its
revolutionary changes have raised new
and vital questions as to the relations
between employers and wage earners
which have become matters of press
ing public concern. Industrial rela
lions concern the public for a double
reason. We are directly interested ir
the maintenance of peaceful and sta
BILE industrial conditions for the SAKE
of our own comfort and well-being
but society is equally interested, in III
effectively civic capacity, in seeins
that our institutions are effectively
maintaining justice and fair dealing
between any classes OF citizens who's,
economic interests may seem t
clash. Railway strikes on such 1
scale as has recently been witnessed
in France and in England, a strike o
coalmine workers such as We have
more than once witnessed in thi:
country, and such wholesale re
linqushing Of public service as tina
of the street cleaners recently in New
York, illustrate the serious danger t.
public we'll being and the inadequac!
of the existing social machinery eithe
to prevent such occurrences or to ad
just them on any equitable and per
manent basis after they have arisen.
We all see the grave objections t.
strikes and lockouts, however neces
sary they may be in extreme cases
and we are ready to criticise the NOR,
extreme phases of the industrial con
fiict such as boycotts and blacklists
but we leave the situation such tina
Industrial disputes lead inevitably /,
state of industrial war In which
these are the only weapons left t,