The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-06-05
CAUSE AND EFFECT.

The Industrial Worker is in re- ceipt If tte Houston Bill "to con- fer additional authority upon the President of the United States in the construction and operc.tion of tho Alaskan railroad and for other purposes from tho Hon. James Wickersham, Delegate to Congress from Alaska, and accompanying that copy is the c1hnotation "this full territorial form of government bill was prepared in Secretary Lanes office and introduced in Congress at his request. It's effect will be to givo the Alacka Roilr pad Commis- sioner autocratic power to suppress labor organizations and other free people. Do you want it?"
 The bill, like many other bills di- rec"ed against labor organizations, is short, forccful and direct. The usually omnipresent joker is not there The joker microbo does not infest such measures. It is wonder fully to the point, and clear as noon day.
 The President (that is the rail- road commissioners is empowered to make and promulgato |dch Police quarantine and sanitary rules and regulations as shall be necessary to preserve ord3r end preserve the public health along and iil Che vici- nity of said railroad or rfilrcads constructed, being constructed CT To- catcd by survey and With town sites established or to be establish cd under ard pursuant to said Act of March 12, 1914"
 Section two provides for the en- forcement of this law and the pu- nishmcnt fo" it's violation.
 This bill wcs introduced after the railroad workers formed their union and struck. Had it been in force, the commission could have made such an organiza- ton, penal, could have deportod every member and thus have wiped out every effort of the workers to better their condition.
 The effort to better their condi- tion is the cause, the bill against them is the effect.
 The bill as the connotation says with fine sarcasm io c specimen of full territorial form of government, Secretary Lane brand, cnd ought to make Alaskans in love still more with the party which introduces it. Under it's authority, tho commis- sioners enter any town which the railroad reaches, cast asido munich pal rights which the citizens may possess, and proceed to enforce thoir own ideas of police regulations.
 It can be readily understood that the Hunston bill would never have been called into existence had the railroad strike never occurred; It can also be readily understood that had the railroad commission paid reasonable wages and acted towards labor in an intelligent and even from the employers standpoint a reasonable manner. thct strike hover would have occurred. But finding the workers rcscntful of peonage in the North and finding that rctards the construction pro- jects of the railroad engineers. they want a coercion act whereby they can force upon the workers under the euphemistic title of police regu- iations for preserving order, such system of control as will enable them to stifie and choke every effort made for bettcrment
 Unquestionably the declaration that under this law labor organiza- tions could be suppressed Is true. Un- also the papers which cri- ticize and comment upon the rail- road authorities also could be closed down. The bill in effect pro- poses to establish bureaucratic de- spotism within AlaDka, to remove from Alaskan control tho policing | Dtc. of the cities where tho govern ment railroad touchor, and to make every employee subject to any regu- lations which the railroad engineers under police regulations mcy see fit .o devise.
 It Is no wonder that tho railroad