The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-12-07
MESSAGE IS
PRESENTED
President Roosevelt Addresses
Congress as to the Require
ments Of Our Nation.
TRUST QUESTION DISCUSSED
Special Plea Made for Alaska
and Appropriation Urged for
Lewis and Clark Cen
tennial.
TRUST QUESTION DISCUSSED

Washington, Dec. when congress
convened in regular session today the
annual message of the president was
read. In part the message was as fol-
lows
To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
The country is to be congratulated on
the amount of substantial achievement
which has marked the past year both
as regards our foreign and as regards
our domestic policy.
CORPORATIONS.
With nation as with a man the
most important things are those Of the
household, and therefore the country is
especially to be congratulated on what
has been accomplished in the direction
of providing for the exercise of super
vision over the great corporations and
combinations of corporations engaged
in interstate commerce. The congress
has created the department of COM
merce and labor, including the bureau
of corporations, with for the first time
authority to secure proper publicity of
such proceedings of these great corr
porations as the public has right to
know. 1t has provided for the expedit-
ing of suits for the enforcement of the
antitrust law; and by another law 1t
has secured equal treatment to all pro-
ducers in the transportation of their
goods, thus taking long stride for
ward in making effective the work OF
the interstate commerce commission.
COMMERCE. AND LABOR.
The establishment of the department
Of commerce and labor, with the bu-
reau of corporations Hereunder,
marks a real advance in the direction
of doing all that is possible for the So
luton of the questions vitality affecting
capitalists and wage workers. The
act creating the department was ap-
proved on February IA, 1903, and two
days later the head of the department
was nominated and confirmed by the
senate. Since then the work of organ
ization has been pushed as rapidly as
the initial appropriations permitted,
and with due regard to thoroughness
and the broad purposes which the de-
partment is designed to serve. After
the transfer of the various bureaus and
branches to the department at the be-
ginning of the current fiscal year, as
provided for in the act, the personnel
comprised 1889 employees In Washing
ton and 1896 in the country at large.
The scope of the departments duty and
embraces the commercial and
industrial interests of the nation. 1t
Is not designed to restrict nor control
the fullest liberty of legitimate busi-
ness action, but to secure exact and
authentic information which will aid
the executive N enforcing existing
laws, and which will enable the con-
gress to enact additional legislation,
If any should be found necessary, in
order to prevent the few from obtain
ing privileges at the expense of dim
inished opportunities for the many.
CAPITAL AND LABOR,
The consistent policy Of the national
so far as 1t has the power.
is to hold in check the unscrupulous
man, whether employer or employe
but to refuse to weaken individual ini-
tiative or to hamper or cramp the in
dustrial development of the country.
We recognize that this is an era of fed
Grafton and combination,ir which great
corporations and labor
unions have become factors of tremen-
dous Importance in all industrial cen
ters. Hearty recognition is given the
benetcent work which
has been accomplished through both
and unions. and the line as
different corporations, as be-
tween different unions. is drawn as it