The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-09-02
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

Brookings Register Bureau. Washington. DC.
(By j. z. Jones)
Chairman Frank p. Walsh and the
representatives Of labor will present a
minority report for the Commission on
Industrial Relations, and a majority re-
port will be handed in by the three
representatives OF capital, who will be
supported by Mrs. Borden j. Harri-
man, the rich widow was given a Job
on the commission. The commission
attracted interest particularly bedause
OF its investigation Of the Colorado
coal strike, and Mr.. Walsh's rigid ex-
animation Of John d. Rockefeller,
junior. Walsh is bitterly arraigned by
some of his associates on the commits
all sorts of socialistic dogma. This
charge is sustained by his proposal
that all estates in excess of one mil
lion dollars be seized.
1t may at first seem disappointing
that so important a commission should
fail in presenting a unanimous report,
but when it is recalled that the United
States Supreme Court usually divides
in about the same proportion, when
ever there is an important question in
volved, it is hardly reasonable to ex-
pect any other result.
Walsh is the victim of attack for
very simple reasons that were appar-
ent to everyone who attended the hear
ings in Washington, New York or
other parts Of the country. His won
derful grasp Of the vital issues be-
tween labor and capital, and his fear
less championship of human rights,
ought to mark him as one of human
ity's noblest friends. But quite on the
contrary, it has brought the custom
airy ridicule and misinterpretation that
is usually manufactured by that part
of the metropolitan press which faith
fully serves it's masters. One might
suppose hat Walsh was a pop-eyed,
red listed devil from the things that
have been said Of him. On the con
trary, he is a successful practicing at
torney; n of the best cross-examin-
ers in the country; and he is gifted
with the power to analyZe a great
problem in a way possessed by few
men. When he was in Washington it
was acknowledged by those who fire.
quented the hearings, that his was the.
master mind of the commission. Per-
haps it was a fault, but Walsh was
brutally direct with Mr.. Rockefeller
and some of the other witnesses, and
whenever he gave a name to a thing
it was so plain that there was no mis-
taking a spade for a soup tureen.
Congress will have the results of
this commissions work before it, and
maybe it will be turned to good ad-
vantage. However the chances are
that the whole thing will be pigeon
holed the same as were the returns
from committees that investigated the
money trust, the steel corporations,
etc. Nevertheless it must not be as
sumed that no concrete results have
not been obtained in each instance, as
a considerable part of the public has
followed each affair of these, and the
Colorado and Michigan strikes, cleo
ton contributions, ETC., and the public
mind has been strengthened through
obtaining a better knowledge of the
affairs Of their country.
In certain tropical countries the ma
tives live on different kinds of fruit,
and there are evidences that the ba-
mana, cocoanut and mango-fed men
and women are as sturdy and strong
as the meat eaters of the United
| States. The Chinese grow big and
strong from eating rice, and the Arabs
are fierce and healthy. and their menu
Is dates. Some Americans with brok-
en-down digestive apparatus. advocate
grapes, nuts, buttermilk or vegetable
diets; but as a rule the lives of most
people of the United States are short
ened, and it could be t%ruthfully writ
ten on their death certificates: Died
of a surfeit."