The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-02
SOCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL JUSTICE.

BY the time | became President
had grown to feel with deep intensity
OF conviction that governmental agen
cies must find their justification large
ly in the way In which they are USED
Tor the practical betterment of livins
n working conditions among the
mass of the people. | felt that ths
fight was really for the abolition Of
privilege: and one of the first stages
in the battle was necessarily to hghl
for the rights of the woTkingman
For this reason 1 felt most strongly
that all hat the government could dc
in the interest OF labor should BE-
done The Federal car
rarely act with the directness tina the
State governments act. IL can, how
ever. do a good deal.
The Government as an Employer.
My purpose was to make the ma,
tional government itself a model en-.
ployer of labor. the effort being "a
make h per diem employe just as
much as the cabinet officer regard
himself as one of the partners en-.
ployed In the service OF the public,
proud of his work. eager TO do IL in
the best possible manner, and conf.
dent OF just treatment. Our aim was
also to secure good laws wherever
the national government had power,
- ~ ANbl VS. III wv NNAH'
trict Of Columbia. and In connection
with interstate commerce.
The Eight-Rour Law.
] found the eight-hour law a mere
farce. the departments rarely enforc.
ing u with any degree OF efficiency.
This remcdied by executive action.
Unfortunately. thoroughly efficient
government servants often proved 20
be the prime offender so far as the
on NnHHaHHmanH - a. =
was concerned. because In their zeal
TO get good work done for the govern.
ment thCy became harsh -taskmasters.
and declined 20 consider the needs Of
L1eir fellow employees who served un.
der them.
7 finally solved the problem. az FAR
as government employees were con.
cerncd. BY calling In Charles y Nei1l.
he head Of the Labor Bureau. and.
ACTING on his advice. speedily made
the "iEht-hour Law really effective
Any man who shirkcd his work. who
dawdled and idlcd. received no
mercy. ~slackuess is even worse than
harshness Tor exactly a. In battle.
mercy to n coward Or cruelty 10 tho
brave man. so IN civil he tiartrc4e
towards the vicious and ifIs Dr.
~harshnoss towards tho honest and
hard working
Justice for the Workers.
We passed n GOOD law protecting
Tho lives and health Of miners in tho
Territories. and other Laws PROVIDING
ior the supervision Of employment
agencies IN the District OF Columbia.
and protecting the health Of moformou
and conductors on street RAILWAYS boz
The District We practically started
The Bureau Of Mines We ur0vif.d
Tor safe guarding factory employees In
Nc District AGAINST accidents. and fof
me restriction ~ child labor therein
We Iaeeed q wOrkmuu'a ~crmueuanfIou
law Tor the protection Of Government
Employed ; O. law which did NOT go aH
Tar az ] wished. but which was the
best ! could get and which C-r-uiffUI.
The 6~oFcrumcut 90 the right policy
We provided for an invcsugatiOn OF
woman and child labor IN tho United
states We Incorporated tho National
hid Labor Committee. Where We
p most dtihculty was with the rail
way companies engaged IN interstate
business We passed an act improv-
Ing safety appliances on railway