Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-01-09

There are Democrats who say that
If Mr.. O'Gorman is entrusted with the
work Of framing amendments TO tho
Sherman antitrust law business need
not trembIe in it's boots over the out
come. The Democrats who say this
are men who think that Mr.. O'Gor-
man belongs TO the reactionary eIe-
ment in his party, but there have
been little perhaps in the judges rec
ord or in his speeches to prove that
the criticism is just.
Tariff Not Really First.
In speaking of the forthcoming leg
islatiOn under the new administration
the Democratic leaders in congrBs al
ways put the tariff first in place and
first in Importance. When they talk
privately about legislation it appears
that few of them think that first place
in real business Importance belongs
to the tariff. The tariff, in the minds
Of the Democrats, seems to have the
first place in political Importance
only
The Democrats admit that the work
OF revising the tariff will not be as
hard as the work of regulating the
trusts, although generally they do not
use the word regulating. Through a
long series of years the methods of
tariff revision have become well
known. The attempts finally to settle
the trust question all have failed, a
fact which perhaps is equally true of
the tariff, but at any rate so far as
customs are concerned, the Demo
Gratis know what they want to do,
while they do not know definitely
what they want to do with the trusts,
and they know nothing at all as yet
about how 10 do it.
The trust legislation problem will
be studied, not only by Mr.. O'Gorman.
but by other Democrats in the house
and senate whose legal training is sup
posed to make them fit for the work.
There viii be a hard winter and q
hard spring in the chambers of the
students of the problem of big bust
ness. What to do and how to do it?
The Democratic party is anxious to
know if Mr.. Wilson, Mr.. O'Gorman
and the rest can answer the Ques-
tons
May End Labor Disputes.
Representatives of both capital ana
labor, judging from what they have
said about the matter for publication,
seem to believe that the commission
on industrial relations which has just
been appointed by President Taft will
be able after investigation and study
to suggest some means for adjusting
labor disputes in the future and pos
sibly for their avoidance altogether
The commission which President
Taft appointed in accordance with an
act of congress is made up as follows:
Senator George Sutherland, Utah:
George B. Chandler, Rock Hills, Con
necticut; Charles Simon Barrett,
Union City. Ga; Frederick A. Delano,
of Chicago. president of the Wabash
railroad; Adolph Lewisohn, New York
city; F. C. Schwedtman. ST. Louis;
Austin B. .Garretson, Va; John B.
Lennon, Bloomington. H.; and James
O'Connell. Washington, D. c.
1t should not be understood that this
commission is to give it's entire time
to the work OF trying to find means to
prevent future conflicts between cap
ital and labor. 1t has been given au-
thority to go far afield in it's inquiries
and if it should satisfactorily clean up
the slate Of difficulties which has been
given it. it probably will go down into
history as the greatest body of public
benefactors ever given official life 1t
is impossible that the commission can
do all that it is told to try to do, but
if it does one OF the things committed
to it for solution" it probably will get
something of a place in the history
of the economics of the country.
The commission will have the CO.
operation of the department Of COM
merce and labor and it is empowered
to hold meetings anywhere in the
United States. Each member will
draw $40 day as a salary and to this
will be added the actual expenses
while engaged in the work.
Barrett Represents Farmers.
Labor conditions in agriculture form
one of the specific study duties of the
commission. Charles Simon Barrett
of Union City. Ga, is known as the
president of the Farmers Union He
is recognized as the representative of
the farmers upon the commission.
while the labor representative are
expected TO include in their duties the
proper gathering of facts concerning
the life OF the agricultural laborers.
John B. Lennon and James O'Con-
nell are officials of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. Austin B. Garretson
of Iowa is the president of the Order
of Railway Conductors. This order is
not affiliated with the American Fed
Grafton of Labor,
This is not the first industrial com
mission which has been appointed by
a president of the United States. The
most famous one, which was not call
ed an industrial commission. but was
one in the highest sense, was that
named by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902
to investigate the anthracite coal
in Pennsylvania. Every man on that
commission was known to the coun-
try at large. The members of the
present industrial commission are not
so well known as those of the anthra-
cite coal strike commission. but this
bv no means is held TO war against
the chances of securing results. The
commission is an able body and every
man selected for it is known in his
particular field as a hard and conscien.
tious worker.