New Britain herald., 1916-12-05

clency which argues It's own case III the mere statement Cf it. With re- gard to one of it's items. the increase in the efficiency of the interstate com merce commission. the house of rep resentatives has already acted; its ac- ton needs only the concurrence of the senate.
 To Prevent Blocking of Progress.
 "I would hesitate to recommend, hesitate to act upon the suggestion should I make it, that any man in any occupation should be obliged by law to continue in an employment which ne desired to leave To pass law which forbade or prevented the indi- vidual workman to leave his work before receiving the approval of so- ciety in doing so would be to adopt a new principle into our Jurisprudence which I take it for granted we are not prepared to introduce. But tho proposal that the operation of the railways of the country shall not be stopped or interrupted by the concert ed action of organized bodies of men until a public investigation shall have been instituted which shall make the whole question at issue plain for the judgment of the opinion of the nation is not to propose any such principle. It is based upon the very different principle that the concerted action of powerful bodies of men shall not be permitted to stop the industrial pro- cesses of the nation at any rate be- fore the nation shall have had an op- pOrtunity to aCquaint itself with the merits of the case as between employe and employer, time to form it's opinion upon an impartial statement of the merits, and opportunity to consider all practicable means of conciliation or arbitration. can see nothing in that proposition but the justifable safe guarding by society of the necessary processes of it's very life. There is nothing arbitrary or unjust in it un- less it be arbitrarily and unjustly dOne It can and should be done with full and scrupulOus regard for the interests and liberties of all concern. ed as we'll as for the permanent inter ests of society itself
 Three matters of capital import ance await the action of the senate which have already been acted upon by the house of representatives: the bill which seeks to extend greater freedom of combination to those en- gagged in promoting the foreign com merce of the country than is now thought to be legal under the terms of the laws against monopoly; the bill amending the present organic law of Porto Rico; and the bill proposing a more thorough and systematic regu- lation of the expenditure of money in elections, commonly called the corrupt practices act I need not labor my advice that these measures be enacted into law. Their urgency lies in the manifest circumstances which render their adoption at this time not only opportune but necessary. Even delay would seriously leopard the inter ests of the country and of the govern ment.
 Immediate passa ge of the bill to regulate the expenditure of money in elections may seem to- be less neces- sary than the immediate enactment of the other measures to which I refer; because at least two years will elapse before another election in which fed eral offices are to be filled; but it would greatly relieve the public mind if this important matter were dWelt with while the circumstances and the dangers to the public morals of the
 
 spending campaign funds stand clear under recent observation and the methods of expenditure can be frank ly studied in the light of present ex- perience; and a delay would have the further very serious disadvantage of postponing action until another cleo tion was at hand and some special object connected with it might be thought to be in the mind of those who urged it. Action can be taken now with facts for guidance and with out suspicion of partisan purpose.
 "I shall not argue at length the desira bility of giving a freer hand Tn the matter of combined and concerted effort to those who shall undertake the essential enterprise of building up our export trade. That enterprise will presently, will immediately as- sume, has indeed already assumed, magnitude unprecedented in our eX- perience. We have not the necessary instrumentalities for it's prosecution; it is deemed doubtful whether they could be created upon an adequate scale under our present laws. We should clear away all legal obstacles and create a basis of undOubted law for it which will give freedom without permitting unregulated license. The thing must be done now, because the opportunity is here and may escape us if we hesitate or delay.
 "The argument for the proposed amendments of the organic law of Porto Rico is brief and conclusive. The present law governing the island and regulating the rights and privileges of it's people are not just. We have created expectations of extended privilege which we have not satisfied. There is uneasiness among the people of the island and even a suspicious doubt with regard to our intentions concerning them which the adoption