Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1916-12-08

be offered for a more deliberate con
sideration Of them. The fourth rec
ommendation I do not deem It neces-
sary to renew. The power Of the in
terstate commerce commission to grant
an increase Of rates on the ground re-
ferred to is ihdisputably clear and a
recommendation BY the congress with
regard to such a matter might seem to
draw in question the scope Of the com
missions authority or its inclination to
do justice when there is no reason to
doubt either.
The other suggestions-the increase
In the interstate commerce commits
sion's membership and in its facilities
for performing its manifold duties, the
provision for full public investigation
and assessment of Industrial disputes,
and the grant to the executive Of the
power to control and operate the rail-
ways when necessary in time Of war
or other like public necessity now
very earnestly renew.
The necessity for such legislation Is
manifest and pressing. Those who have
i~ntrusted us with the responsibility
and duty Of serving ard safeguarding
them in sucn matters would find 1t
hard, I believe, e excuse n failure to
act upon these grave matters or any
unnecessary -pOstpOnement of action
upon them.
Not only does the interstate com
merce commission now find It pract-
cally impossible, with its present mem
bership and organization. to perform
its great functions promptly and thor
Oughly, but 1t is not unlikely that 1t
may presently be found advisable to
add to it's duties still others equally
heavy and exacting. It must first be
perfected as an administrative instru-
ment.
The country cannot and should not
consent to remain any longer exposed
to profound Industrial disturbances for
lack of additional means of arbitra-
ton and Cancellation which the con
gress can easily and promptly supply.
And all will agree that there must be
no doubt as to the power of the eXecu-
tive to make immediate and uninter-
rupted use of the railroads for the o m
centratiOn of the military forces of the
nation wherever they are needed and
whenever they are needed.
This is a program of regulation, pre-
ventiOn and administrative efficiency
which argues it's OWL case in the mere
statement of it. With regard to one
of its items, the increase in the eff
cheney of the interstate commerce com
mission, the house of representatives
has already acted :, its action needs
only the concurrence of the senate.
For Control and Operation.
I would hesitate to recommend, and
1 dare say the congress would hesitate
TO act upon the suggestion should |
make it, hat any man in any occupa-
ton should be obliged by law to con
tinue in an employment which he de-
sired to leave. To pass a law which
forbade or prevented the individual
workman to leave his work before re-
ceiving the approval of society in do
ing so would be to adopt n new prin-
ciple into our Jurisprudence which !
take it for granted we are not prepared
to Introduce. But the proposal that
the operation of the railways of the
country shall not be stopped or inter.
rupted by the concerted action of or.
ganized 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. 1t is based upon
the very different principle that the con.
certed action of powerful bodies of mer
shall not be permitted to stop the i'm.
dustrial processes of the nation, ut any
rate before the nation shall have haC
an opportunity to acquaint itself witt
the merits of the case as between EN-
plOyee and employer, time to form it,
opinion upon an impartial Statement
of the merits, and opportunity to con
slider all practicable means Of concilla
ton or arbitration.
l can see nothing in that proposition
hut the justihable safeguarding by so
ciety of the necessary processes o
its very life. There is nothing arb
trary or unjust i'm it unless 1t be arbi
trarily and u~njustly done. 1t can ant
should be done with a full and scrupu
lous regard for the interests and liber
ties of all concerned as well as for tn,
permanent interests of society itself.
Other Legislation Urged.
Three matters of capital importanc
await the action of the senate whicI
have already been acted upon by tn
house of representatives the bill
: which seeks to extend greater freedom
of combination to those engaged in pre-
noting the foreign m of tn
country than Is now thought by som
to be legal under the terms of the law
, against monopoly the bill amendin
! the present organic law of Porto Rico
and the bill proposing a more thOl
> ough and systematic regulation of tn
expenditure of money in elections, con
monty called the Corrupt Practices Ac
= / need not labor my advice that thes
p measures be enacted into law. Thei