Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-02-27

government control.
Entering Wedge Is Feared.
It is probable, however, that the
conseryationists do not so much fear
the results of turning the land over to
municipality as they do that SO
turning 1t will be the entering wedge
for turning over other tracts to cor
porations which are not municipali-
ties. Not very much has been heard
of conservation at the present session
of congress, but men like Mr.. Pin
servation crusade in the past are
standing at one side watching sharp
eyed all legislation which touches
their propaganda.
The conservationists are not alto
gether happy, and they say so, at the
that they are ready to get into the
fight again as soon as congress re-
convenes. Once they thought they
had thier fight won, but they seem
to feel that there has been something
of reaction which they charge has
come from misrepresentation and
that now they must go ahead with
their work just as they went ahead
with it in the days following the con-
ference of governors at the White
House at the time that Theodore
Roosevelt preached to the governors
the doctrine of saving the nation'l
natural resources.
Cabinet To Be Increased.
1t seems to be virtually certainty
now that Woodrow Wilson will be
called upon to name ten cabinet mem.
bers. The increasing of the official
family's size by one member will be
due to the creation of department OF
labor. Everything points to the sign
ing by President Taft before he leaves
office of the bill creating the new de-
partment, and IL this should not hap
pen the chances are that Mr.. Wilson
soon after his inauguration will have
a chance to sign the bill on his Owl
account.
The Democrats and the Republicans
in their official procurement as par
ties both have declared in favor of a
department Of labor. For years rep
resentatives of the labor industries
have urged that they be represented
at the presidents council table. In
the past there was a good deal OF op-
position to the creation Of the new de-
partment. 1t showed itself mainly In
the effort to keep the necessary legis'
lation from reaching the voting point
While Washington has been gossip.
ing good deal about President VII,
sons cabinet, it has been taking note
only of nine cabinet places. It Is Ia
ken for granted that If department
of labor is authorized representative
of labor will sit in the cabinet. 1t has
been suggested that John Mitchell
might be the cabinet officer. The
chances are that the president will
find out either directly or Indirectly
how the majority of the labor leaders
feel on the qualifications of this man
or that man and will make his choice
accordingly.
Eight Hour Day Legislation.
In writing about labor legislation in
congress the eight hour law should
not be overlooked. Years ago con
gress voted that eight hours should
constitute a day on all government
work, but it declined to sanction leg
islation making the eight hour day
compulsory on government WORK
which was being done by private con
Germs So it was that when the gov
eminent was building a battleship IN
one of it's own yards it worked It's
men only eight hours a day, while the
private ship yard building battle
ship under contract for the govern.
ment worked it's men ten hours a
day.
Labor tried it's best for good many
years to get an eight hour law which
would apply in the case of govern
ment work under control Of private
corporations About six years ago a
great delegation representing labor
marched to the capitol to make i'm,
pressive by numbers its wish that the
eight hour law should be passed. The
speaker of the house and some Of the
party leaders met the labor represen-
tatives and talked to Them but no
definite promise was made.
Made congressman Dodge.
An eight hour law such as labor
wish once reached the floor Of the
house by virtue of the fact that some
of the members of the committee
which had the bill in its keeping were
caught mapping. The intention was to
keep the bill in committee and thus to
relieve members of congress of the
necessity of voting on the measure at
least until after the next election. One
of the members of the committee
which had the bill before 1t was out
of town and it was not known that he
had returned. He was in favor of
the measure and when he walked into
the committee Unexpectedly one morn
ing the bill was forced to vote and
in the absence of some members of
the opposition favorable report was
made. This was sent to the house,