the experience gained through the passage and administration of the
Interstate-Commerce Act. If, however, the judgment of the Congress
is that it lacks the constitutional power to pass such an act, then
a constitutional amendment should be submitted to confer the power.

There should be created a Cabinet officer, to be known as Secretary of
Commerce and Industries, as provided in the bill introduced at the last
session of the Congress. It should be his province to deal with commerce
in its broadest sense; including among many other things whatever
concerns labor and all matters affecting the great business corporations
and our merchant marine.

The course proposed is one phase of what should be a comprehensive
and far-reaching scheme of constructive statesmanship for the purpose
of broadening our markets, securing our business interests on a safe
basis, and making firm our new position in the international industrial
world; while scrupulously safeguarding the rights of wage-worker and
capitalist, of investor and private citizen, so as to secure equity as
between man and man in this Republic.

With the sole exception of the farming interest, no one matter
is of such vital moment to our whole people as the welfare of the
wage-workers. If the farmer and the wage-worker are well off, it is
absolutely certain that all others will be well off too. It Is therefore
a matter for hearty congratulation that on the whole wages are higher
to-day in the United States than ever before in our history, and far
higher than in any other country. The standard of living is also higher
than ever before. Every effort of legislator and administrator should
be bent to secure the permanency of this condition of things and its
improvement wherever possible. Not only must our labor be protected by