Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-09-02

This photograph shows the batt
the Pedro Miguel locks as the Svst
canal were going through. At the II
being required to sign release II
lfaVor OF the company at the time
ltnat. they became members of the
tDenetlt association. In some cases
even, the membership is compulsory
tNevertheless the employees have nc
voice in the management and receive
mo equity when they are discharged
1F1nally, such associations, under theil
present management, serve to exert
Ian undue infiuene over employees
Isinc the members, If they quit the ser
Twice for any period or for any cause
IsacT1nce to the company all that has
been paid in.
.. Under the authority granted by
fthe several States the railroads main.
tain a force of police land some, al
feast, have established large raseuals
.of arms and ammunition. This armed
force, when augmented by recruits
fro detective agencies, as seems to
De the genral practice during indus
trial disputes, constitute a private
army clothed with a degree of author.
lily which should be exercised only
10y public officials; these armed
bodies, usurping the supreme func-
tons OF the State and oftentimes en-.
tcroaching on the rights of the cit
liens, are a direct menace to public
welfare.
ut is suggested that the Com1ais.
sion recommend:
u. thorough investigation of the
Public Health Service of railroad con-
Istruct1on camps as well as other labor
[camps, and the preparation Of definite
plans for such camps and a standard
code OF sanitary regulations.
z. The enactment by Congress of a
Fstatllte expressly prohibiting corpora
[t10ns engdaged in interstate com
meFce from inducing or compelling
their employees ! to sign releases Of
liability for accidents
=. Congress should enact a statute
prohibiting interstate employers from
requiring their employees to contri-
butte to benefit funds, and providing
for the participation of employees en-.
gagged in Interstate commerce in the
management of all benefit funds and
other funds to which they contribute.
4. The regulation by Federal stat
ute OF the employment of police on
n :
should not only provide for the, or
Iganlzation, personnel and powers Of
ISuch police, but should definitely pro-
vide that during labor disputes such
police should be subject to the proper
Iciyil authorities and paid out of the
public treasury. The statute should
also provide that such corporations
should be permitted to have firearms
only under license, requiring that a
definite record be maintained show
ing the character of each firearm and
to whom 1t is issued,
5. The assumption by the States of
full responsibility and definite pro-
vision not only forprotecting the prop
|erty or railroads, but for preventing
trespass upon their property"
industrial Conditions in isolated Com
munities.
One of the most striking features of
the report is the finding that many
typical industrial communities pre-
|sent every aspect of astate of feudal-
ism The report says:
t'The investigations and hearings of
the Commission are the basis for the
following statements:
1. The conditions existing in typi-
cal industrial communities which are
either wholly or in large part owned
or controlled by a single corporation
or Individual employer, present every
aspect of a state of efudalism except
the recognition of specific duties on
the part of the employer. The en-
ployees in such communities are de-
pendent on a single corporation, or
employer, for their livelihood. Fur
thermore, the employer in many cases
controls the social and political life
I0f such communities, either by the
lcomplete absorption of local political
IpOwers or by domination of the local
authorities.
I 2. The fundamental rights of cit
liens in such communities are, as a
lgenral rule, seriously abridged if not
actually denied Among the rights
| most seriously violated are the right
lof free speech and assemblage and
the right of public highways.
In some cases. as for example in
Colorado, employers in such conmuni
tiles have assumed to usurp the func-
Itions of the Federal Government it.
lseM in the issuance of money orders,
land have not only denied employees
laccess to the post Office when located
ldn their company stores but have
lopened and otherwise interfered with
1.-The mail directed to the employees
Such feudalistic conditions tend to
ldevelop principally in Connection with
1.-THE private exploitation Of natural re-
soures. being most frequently found
lin mining camps. lumber camps Tin
IcIuding turpentine campsl and large
LAMENTATIONS. There are, however,
Striking examples even in the case OF
lmanufactures, as, for example, the
ltextile towns and steel towns
The most extreme form of domi,
nation and control exists in what are
known as Hclosed camps. where she
Eenployer owns al the land upon
(which such camps are located and
lhecsuse 81 this private ownership
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