

And State Papers 39 



teaches sounder social morality to our people. The 

 commission consisted of seven as good men as were 

 to be found in the country, representing the bench, 

 the church, the army, -the professions, the employ 

 ers, and the employed. They acted as a unit, and the 

 report which they unanimously signed is a master 

 piece of sound common-sense and of sound doctrine 

 on the very questions with which our people should 

 most deeply concern themselves. The immediate 

 effect of this commission's appointment and action 

 was of vast and incalculable benefit to the Nation; 

 but the ultimate effect will be even better, if cap 

 italist, wage-worker, and lawmaker alike will take 

 to heart and act upon the lessons set forth in the 

 report they have made. 



Of course the National Government has but a 

 small field in which it can work in labor matters. 

 Something it can do, however, and that something 

 ought to be done. Among other things I should 

 like to see the District of Columbia, which is com 

 pletely under the control of the National Govern 

 ment, receive a set of model labor laws. Washing 

 ton is not a city of very large industries, but still it 

 has some. Wise labor legislation for the city of 

 Washington would be a good thing in itself, and it 

 would be a far better thing, because a standard 

 would thereby be set for the country as a whole. 



In the field of general legislation relating to these 

 subjects the action of Congress is necessarily very 

 limited. Still there are certain ways in which we 

 can act. Thus the Secretary of the Navy has rec- 



