Oswald West

“ INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE United States Senator Elihu Root of New York in a speech delivered before the National Civic Federation in November, 1909, said:
“It seems to me that our present system of dealing with those injuries that come to the employees in our great industrial life is foolish, wasteful, ineffective, and barbarous. It is discreditable to have a great enlightened nation ignoring the fact that in all industries there are accidents, and that every crushed foot, every broken arm, every ruined life, is expended in the business, is a part of the cost of doing the business. ”

“ True conservation does not mean that the natural resources of a State are to be bound up by disuse or non-development. But it does mean that they are to be utilized in such a manner that there will be no waste, no extravagance, and no monopoly. Conservation, as I view it, means the development and the utilization of the natural resources but in such manner and under such regulation and safeguards as will give to the people of the present day and to the coming generations of the future the maximum of benefit and of utility with the minimum of waste and destruction. ”

“ We cannot lose sight of the central fact that the institution exists for the insane; that whatever adds to their comfort, promotes their welfare, or in any way alleviates their very distressing malady, is right; and that everything that deprives them of safe and sympathetic care, modern and scientific treatment, is wrong. This plain rule of right and wrong has been our guide in administering the affairs of this, the greatest of the State’s charities. ”

“ It would be better and wiser by far to show scanty consideration for other departments or institutions of the State, in order to provide needed funds for the State’s schools and colleges, than to scrimp the funds for the schools to aid other institutions or departments. I believe in economy of government but not in economy of education, and I trust that in passing upon the needs of the State’s educational system this legislature will show no disposition to refuse any of the schools or colleges such support as their necessities and healthy development may require. ”

“ Our Federal Constitution provides that no State shall make or enforce a law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of the citizens of the United States and that no state shall deny any person the equal protection of the laws or permit the taking of property without due process of law. ”

“ But common decency and the consideration which we should have for the unfortunate make it imperative that the convicts be given employment of some kind. Until some objectionable system of employment is devised it would be most inhuman to condemn these men to idleness and to thus deprive them of the God-given blessing of useful occupation. It should be the aim of the State, therefore, to provide them as soon as practicable with employment which will remove them as far as possible from competition with free labor. ”

“ This fact is admitted by every student of prison reform who has visited the State. The Superintendent, believing that the reformation of a convict can be better accomplished by treating him as a human being and with such kindness as his conduct will merit, has tried, as far as good prison discipline will permit, to furnish the convicts on certain days with wholesome entertainment for the mind and exercise for the body in order that the monotony of prison life might be broken and the existence of the men made more cheerful. ”

“ While the people were voting down these alleged “radical” amendments they voted for and passed the so-called “poll tax” amendment which wiped out all existing constitutional limitations and restrictions but reserved to the people the right to vote on all measures pertaining to taxation. In the absence of express constitutional limitations the legislative power in matters of taxation is unlimited and extends to everything; it acknowledges no limits and “may be carried even to the extent of exhaustion and destruction, thus becoming in its exercise a power to destroy.” ”

“ CONSERVATION OF OUR RESOURCES It is most vital to the future prosperity of this State and of its people that its natural resources be conserved to the fullest possible extent in order that they may be utilized and developed for the benefit not only of this but of future generations. ”

“ GOOD ROADS Oregon will never come into her own in the way of development until she takes steps to improve her highways. There are sections of our State—great empires where you could lose several of the New England States—absolutely without means of reaching the railroads or markets with their products except by a two or three day’s and sometimes a week’s, journey over almost impassible wagon roads. ”

“ There are now confined in the Oregon asylum a large number of non-resident insane. This is true, of course, in every State but the fact remains that other states have enacted laws providing for the deportation of this class of patients. While it would be perhaps be best for each State to care for all insane persons found within its borders, yet, it seems to me, under the circumstances, that Oregon must either make provision for returning the non-resident insane to their home State or become the dumping-ground of other States for this unfortunate but nevertheless undesirable class. ”

“ VISITATION AND INSPECTION OF STATE INSTITUTIONS It is patent to every one that the usual practice of appointing legislative committees for the purpose of visiting and investigating the needs and affairs of the several State institutions fails of its purpose for the reason that as a rule the time of the members of these committees is so taken up by their legislative duties that they are not given sufficient opportunity to make a careful investigation and report. ”

“ The Oregon Conservation Commission in its report for 1910 sets out in detail the weaknesses of our forest laws and policy. It also sets out the essentials of a policy which it recommends for immediate adoption, and I assure you that you will find them worthy of your consideration. They are as follows:
A trained State Forester familiar with western conditions and experienced in organization for the prevention of forest fires. He should not be a cheap man, but the best available, and chosen absolutely independent of politics. He should be allowed to appoint one or more assistants. ”

“ It ought to be paid for so that the man who has spent his life and his strength as a necessary part of doing the business will feel that he is being paid in a way that preserves his manhood instead of being thrown upon charity in a way that destroys it.”
There is in operation in some of the European countries a system of industrial insurance which is producing excellent results. Through the co-operation of the employer, employee, and the State—each bearing a portion of burden, which, of course, is passed on to the ultimate consume—provision is made in advance for the injured. ”

“ There are great quantities of prison-made goods, manufactured in other States, shipped into Oregon every year, which, together with those manufactured by our own contracted prison labor, is sold in competition with similar articles manufactured by free labor. Believing not only that every tub should stand on its own bottom, but that every reasonable protection should be given free labor, I recommend that a law be passed requiring all goods manufactured with prison labor to be so labeled. ”

“ All limitations and restrictions in our State Constitution having been removed, so far as the people are concerned, the only thing which stands in the way of an abuse of the power to tax is the integrity and sense of justice of the people and the restrictions found in the Constitution of the Untied States. ”

“ The inequality and lack of even justice which exists in our system has been removed to some extent through the initiation by Governor Chamberlain of the practice of granting conditional commutations or pardons, but the State should, through the expansion of the parole law, adopt a uniform policy which would make such action by the executive unnecessary and would also remove every possible excuse for the abuse of the pardoning power. The extension of the parole system would be found extremely advantageous should the State decide to use convict labor in the construction of roads. ”

“ A great saving could also be made if the different departments would boil down their annual reports and eliminate a lot of useless statistical matter. I am sure this can be done without depriving the public of any useful information. A dollar saved is a dollar earned, and there is absolutely no reason why the State should throw its money away for useless printing. As you are no doubt aware, the printing plant now being operated in the State capitol building is the private property of the State Printer, who, having never been placed upon a flat salary, is working under the old fee system. ”

“ There is a demand from many quarters that the Federal Government be required to turn over the States for their exclusive control and use all unappropriated timber and mineral lands within their boundaries. There is some merit in this demand, but before pressing it the states should pause long enough to adopt some sensible and effective policy as regards the conservation and development of such resources. The State has already received a grant of four of five million acres of rich agricultural and timber land and by mismanagement and inattention has very little to show for it. ”

“ The friends of the forest have been for years, and are now, knocking at the doors of our legislative halls, begging for the adoption of some definite policy on the part of the State and the passage of effective laws.
There are those who object to any and all movements which have in view the conservation of our resources. This comes through a misunderstanding as to the real purposes of the conservation movement. They seem to think that conservation means the withdrawal from use forever of all our undeveloped resources . ”

“ Past legislatures have laid the ground work for a good system and it now rests with you to complete it. The first and most important step is to provide for the separation of the sources of State and local revenue. When this is done the State will raise its revenue principally from public service corporations, license fees, inheritances or such other subjects as the legislature or the people may think could best be handled by the State Tax Commission. This system would give each county complete home rule in the matter of taxation ”

“ I am advised that the good roads measures which are to be introduced at this session of the legislature will call for the use of convict labor, and, if so, I hope the people will give the experiment a fair trial, for it if proves a success it will not only insure good roads for, but a great saving to, the State, and will provide healthful outdoor work for the prisoners and go a long way toward putting an end to competition between free and prison labor. ”

“ The work is being carried on largely through co-operation with the States—the Government standing ready to spend a dollar for every dollar spent by a State. The States of Washington and California make liberal annual appropriations for the work with a result that much of their territory is being mapped while Oregon, owing to the fact that her appropriations have been insignificant, has had but little of such work done within her boundaries and is therefore sadly deficient in reliable information as to her physical features and natural resources. ”

“ Effective conservation, control or development of the resources of Oregon can come only through State and Federal cooperation. The Federal Government controls and regulates interstate commerce. The States control and regulate commerce wholly within their boundaries. But the Interstate Commerce Commission and the State Railroad Commission have worked together, harmoniously and without any conflict of authority, with one end alone in view—the public good. ”

“ It is important, therefore, that the whole question of insurance be given at an early date that careful consideration which it surely merits, in order that there may be placed upon our statute books an effective and comprehensive insurance law which will cover insurance of every kind and give our policyholders every possible protection. ”

“ STATE PRINTING Good business demands that hereafter each department of State be required to file all requisitions for printed matter with the State Printing Expert and it be made his duty, before placing the order with the State Printer, to inquire carefully into the requirements of the department filing the requisition, in order that no more than the amount necessary to serve its needs be ordered and the State be saved unnecessary expense. It is common knowledge that under the “help yourself” system now in vogue needless quantities of printer matter are ordered and used only for fuel. ”

“ Through the adoption of such a policy the two schools would in time come into possession of thousands of acres of land which could be re-forested and would become a great source of revenue to the schools. The establishment of a State forest would not only give the students in our colleges an excellent opportunity to study the forestry question but would bring about a better understanding and co-operation between the Government, the State, and the timbermen, and insure the adoption of some sensible policy as to fire protection and without increased cost to those concerned. ”