Abilene weekly reflector., 1912-08-08

finally IN the way OF boclhi JuheiOS'
The propositions make constitute
neither anarchy nor Socialism. hut, %
the contrary. corrective for Social
lam and an antidote 70 anarchy"
Constructive Control Of Trusts.
In addition to punishment for wrong
doing by the trusts, the imperative
demand Is effective and complete reg.
ulatlon. "The present conditions OF
business cannot be accepted as salts
factory" The. reason for this is ex-
planned, in Mr.. Roosevelt's opinion, oy
the fact that those dealing with the
subject have attempted to divide into
two camps, each as unwise as the
other" The tendency Of those now
in control of the Republican party IL
to give special privileges to big busi-
ness" and to correct the evil OF sucn
q course when they become crying,
by sporadic lawsuits under the
antitrust law. The tendency OF
the Democrats. judged both by
their record in congress and oy
the Democratic platform, 10 to
abolish all business Of any size or ef-
flciency, on the ground that all Dig
ness is badness, and littleness ana
weakness a sign Of virtue. What 10
needed is action directly the re-
verse of that thus confuJedly indi'
Gated"
There should be applied to all indus
trial concerns engaged In interstate
commerce in which there is either mo-
nopoly or control Of the market the
principles already adopted "in reg
ulating transportation concerns en-
gagged in such commerce. The anti
trust law should be kept on the stat
ute book to be invoked against every
big concern tending to monopoly or
guilty Of anti-social practices. AT
the same time a national industrial
commission should be created which
should have complete power to regu-
late and control all the great Indus
trial concerns engaged in interstate
business-which practically means all
of them in this country. This COM
mission should exercise over these In
dustrial concerns like powers to those
! exercised over the railways by the IN
terstate commerce commission and
over the national banks by the comp
troller of the currency, and addition
al powers If found necessary"
When corporations not submitting
themselves to the regulation OF the
commission or clearly evading or Vio-
lating its orders are prosecuted un-
der the antitrust law and convicted
the commission should have the duty
of seeing that the decree Of the court
ls put into effect completely" Only
In this way can there be avoided
such gross scandals as those attend
ant upon the present administration
prosecution of the Standard Oil and
the tobacco trusts" prosecution
which has merely resulted in In
creased prices to the public, injury tc
the small competitor, and actual finan
cial benefit to the trusts themselves
Justice to Wage-WOrkers.
Mr.. Roosevelt presented an ad
vanced and comprehensive plan to In
sure the rights and better conditions
for labor. He proposed several specific
methods for preserving and improv
ing "our human resources, and there
fore our labor power" Wage scales
and other labor data should be made
public; all deaths, injuries, and dis
eases due to industrial operation
should be reported to the authorities
wage commissions should be estab
lished in the nation and state to de
termine the minimum wage scale II
4 different industries; the federal gov
ernment should investigate all indus
tries with q view to establishing
standards of sanitation and safety
there should be mine and factory In
spection according to standards hxet
by Interstate agreement or by thu
federal government; national anC
state legislation should establish
standards of compensation for indus
trial accidents and deaths and for dis
eases clearly due to industrial con
ditions; for the adoption by law o
a fair standard of compensation TO
casualties resulting fatally .wGicl
shall clearly 1fx THE fhf6lrhum com
pensation in all cases; the monetar!
equivalent of a living wage varies &C
cording to local conditions, but shoul'
be sufficiently high to make moralit'
! possible and to provide for education
recreation. proper care Of the chill
dren. maintenance during sickness
and reasonable saving for old age
excessive hours Of labor should b.
prohibited for all wageworkers, AM
night labor OF women and childrel
should be forbidden; one day OF res
in seven should be provided by law
, continuous Neutrality-suspicious. labo
should be divided into three shifts
eight hours by law; tenement-hous
manufacture should be entirely pre-
hibited, and labor camps should b
koI a0m mfk0Nu