The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-06

dealing with the subject have attempt
ed to divide into two camps, each as
unwise as the other" One camp has
fixed its attention only ON the need of
prosperity-"prosperi to the big men
on top, trusting to their mercy to let
something leak through to the mass
of their countrymen below, which, in
effect, means that there should be no
attempt to regulate the ferocious
scramble in which greed and cunning
reap the largest rewards" The other
camp has 80 fxed it's attention upon
the injustices of the distribution of
prosperity, emitting all consideration
of having something to distribute, and
advocates action which, it is true,
would abolish most Of the inequalities
of the distribution of prosperity, by
only the unfortunate simple process
Of abolishing the prosperity itself"
What is needed is action directly the
reverse of that thus confusedly indi-
Gated" There should be applied to all
industrial concerns engaged in inter-
State commerce in which there is eth
er monopoly or control Of the market
| the principles already adopted lin reg
| ulating transportation concerns engag-
ed in such commerce. The Antitrust
| Law should be kept on the statute
book to be invoked against every big
concern tending to monopoly or guilty
of antisocial practices. At the same
time National Industrial Commission
should be created which should have
complete power to regulate and con-
troll all the great industrial concerns
engaged in interstate business-which
practically means all of them in this
country. This commission should ex-
ercise over these industrial concerns
like powers to those exercised over
the railways by the Interstate Com
merce Commission and over the Ma
tional banks by the Controller of the
Currency, and additional powers If
found necessary"
"The Progressive proposal is def
mite, it is practicable. We promise
nothing that we cannot carry out, we
promise nothing which will jeopardize
honest business. Our proposal is
to help honest business activity, how
ever extensive, and to see that it is
rewarded with fair return, so that
there may be no oppression either of
business men or the common people.
We propose to make it worth while for
our business men to develop the most
efficient business agencies for use in
international trade; for it is to the in
terest of our whole people that we
should do we'll in international bust
ness. But we propose to make those
business agencies do complete justice
to our own people" Where these con-
Germs deal with the necessaries of life,
the commission should not shrink, if
the necessity is proved, from going to
the extent of exercising regulatory
control over the conditions that create
or determine monopoly prices"
1t is imperative to the welfare of our
people that we enlarge and extend our
foreign commerce. We are pre-emi.
nently fitted to do this because as a
people we have developed high skill
in the art of manufacturing; our bust.
ness men are strong executives, strong
organizers.
Industrial Justice.
Referring to the opening sentence OF
his address, namely, that we are now
in the midst of great economic revo
luton" Mr.. Roosevelt presents an ad
vanced and comprehensive plan to in
sure the rights and Better conditions
for labor. He gives it the paramount
place in his speech. "The first charge
upon the industrial craftsmanship OF
the day. he said, "is to prevent hui
man waste. The dead weight of or
phanage and depleted craftsmanship
of crippled workers and workers suf
fering from trade diseases, of casua
labor. of insecure old age. and Of
household depletion due to industrial
conditions are, like our depleted soils
our gashed mountain-sides and flooded
river bottoms, so many strains upoI
the National structure, draining the
reserve strength of all industries, ant
showing beyond all preadventure the
} public element and public concern il
l Industrial health" He proposed sever
al specific methods for preserving ant
improving our human resources, ant
therefore our labor power" Wage
scales and other labor data should b.
: made public: all deaths. injuries, ant
diseases due to industrial operation
should be reported to the authorities
wage commissions should be establish
ed in the Nation and State to deter
mine the minimum wage scale in diff
ferent industries; the Federal Gov
l. eminent should investigate all indus
tries with a view to establishing stand
: ards of sanitation and safety; ther.
l should be mine and factory inspection
according to standards fixed by inter
State agreement or by the Fedora
: Government; National and State leg