The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-01-05

be abolShed, that the state board or
Health be made to consist of five in
stead of nine members, and that COM
missioner of health be appointed to
have full authority over health mat
ters The two commissions, however,
differ as to the method of appointing
the commissioner of health. One ia
vors the appointment by the Board of
Health, and the other by the Governor.
The question as to whether an appoint
ment should be made by board or by
the Governor is not, in my opinion,
very important If the Legislature gives
to the appointing power sufficient au-
thority, with reasonable limitations.
When a position requiring technical
training Is involved the appointing
power should have the right to remove
the appointee and the power with suit
able safeguards to adjust his salary.
The length of the term of such an ap-
pontee should be indefinite and in all
cases where it can be done the Legis-
lature should prescribe as high quail
fications as can reasonably be applied
to those who are to be appointed.
Welfare of Children.
Closely connected with the question
of public health is that of the welfare
of the child. This state has done much
for it's children through it's charitable
institutions. There is probably not
more than one or two states that are
ahead of Minnesota in this regard and
yet by reason of inconsistencies and
omissions in our present laws relating
to children, it has been felt that the
statutes pertaining thereto should be
codified and revised. At the request of
those interested in this matter, COM
mission has been appointed for the pur
pose of making thorough study of the
subject and subsequently reporting
recommendation as to any changes
that naaded This SC CT q
appointed in August of last year and
a preliminary report, which shows the
careful and comprehensive manner in
which the work of the commission is
being done, is appended to this address.
Their final recommendations will be in
corporated in a bill to which the Legis-
lature. it is to be hoped, will give the
attention that the Importance of the
proposed measure deserves.
Labor Legislation.
We have had, in the past, much
enactment of law pertaining to the
rights of property as compared with
what we today call humanitarian legis-
lation. 1t is only forty years ago
since the passage of the first law in
volving the regulation of hours of la
Dor. Such legislation was at that time
regarded as extremely dangerous and
when, thirty years ago, an attempt was
made to keep children out of factories
such attitude was considered "a reck-
less interference with economic free
DOM" But changes are taking place
and have taken place until, today. all
fair minded men in public life believe
in legislation tending to give adequate
compensation for injuries sustained
and to insure payment thereof, to Sc
cure the ample protection of lives the
decrease in the number of accidents, |
the improvement of all conditions I'M
der which men work, the shortening
of their hours of labor to the lowest |
possible point, and bring about as soon |
as possible that situation in which no |
man. who desires to work, shall be !
compelled to labor without receiving !
for his toll sufficient amount in |
wages to enable him and his family to
live in such a manner as to secure for |
them their full, fair share of the Access
series of life. |
Industrial Disputes.
There are times in this state as we'll !
as elsewhere when employees feel that |
they are not getting that to which |
they are entitled, either in wages or |
conditions of employment AS result |
serious strikes take place. The state |
executive is then asked, not only to use |
the National Guard to prevent disorder |
and riot, but, although he is not au- |
thorized by law to do so, to attempt to |
settle such industrial controversies |
Notwithstanding the fact that we have |
at the present time what is known as |
the State Board of Arbitration The |
existing law upon this subject provides |
that when majority of employees of |
their employers make application |
therefor, the said board shall visit the |
locality, inquire into the dispute, hear |
and advise all parties interested" but |
the amount authorized to be paid the |
of the board for such work |
is so small that it cannot be expected |
that they should leave their homes or |
places of labor or business to go to the |
locality involved for the purpose of |
making a thorough investigation of the
matter in dispute. The Governor has
no jurisdiction over the members of |
the board so as to compel them to act,
nor has he any authority to subpoena |
for the purpose of acquiring |
as to the truth or falsity /
of the charges made by the strikers or
their employers. If the Governor is to
be expected to act in these matters the |
present law should be so amended as
to give him the power to appoint, for
each particular strike if in his opinion
it is necessary to intervene, men who
are familiar with the work in which
the strikers are engaged and with the |
business to be investigated, or who, for
some other reason, would be especially
qualified to assist in adjusting labor
conflicts There should be no perma-
nent board of arbitration, but whenever
a. strike i1 threatened the Governor
should have the right, if the situation
is sufficiently serious, to appoint three |
fair and impartial citizens, whose duty
it should be to induce both sides to |
designate committees to represent them
and thus try to get them to adjust, if
possible, in a peaceable manner the
that have arisen between
employer and employee. 1t is not the |
intention that the men so appointed |
should be empowered to compel arbi-
tration, if such a thing were possible,
but to act as conciliators between the
contending parties with full power to
subpoena witnesses and to make full
of the claims and de-
mandS of the strikers and of all the |
conditions surrounding their employ
ment so as to procure definite and au-
data upon which to act. No
particular salary should be prescribed,
but a fund should be set aside for the
purpose of paying for the expenses of
such investigation, and for. the services
of unprecedented and reliable men in |
whom both sides could have confidence
for no others can be appointed if there
is to be any hope of an amicable ad-
justment of the matters in dispute.
The compensation of such conciliators,
if any, should be fixed at the time of
appointment. There are cases now
where the Chief Justice, the Attorney
General and the Governor determine
the amount to be paid for certain SER
vices. These officials, or any others
who might be named, could constitute
a board for determining what amount
should be paid in emergencies and how
the proposed strike fund should be ex-
pended.
Fair Markets.
There has been, of late, considerable
criticism of the methods now in vogue
Of the handling and marketing. of
grain. Wherever unfair conditions are
shown to exist in the delivery to our
markets of farm products and in the
handling and inspection of the same at
terminal points, the Legislature should,