Iron County register., 1903-12-10
Says the Department Of Commerce and
Labor Will Go Far Towards Solv-
ing the Trust Problem.
Calls Attention to Undesirable ImmisratIon..-
Asks for More Stringent Naturaliza-
ton Laws and Enforcement
Wants Commission TO Investigate
Needs of Merchant Marine-POst
Office and Public Land Frauds
Our Foreign Relations.
To the Senate and House of Represents

To the Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
The country is to be congratulated
on the amount of substantial achieve
ment which has marked the past year hoth
as regards our foreign and as regards our
domestic policy.
With a nation as with man the most
important things are those of the house
hold and therefore the country is espe-
cially to be congratulated on what has
been accomplished in the direction OF pro-
viding for the exercise Of supervision over
the great corporations and combinations
of corporations engaged in interstate com
merce. The congress has created the de-
partment of commerce and labor lnclud-
ing the bureau of corporations, with for the
first time authority to secure proper pub
licity of such proceedings of these great
corporations as the public has the right
to know, 1t has provided for the eXpedit-
ing of suits for the enforcement of the fed
eral antitrust law; and by another law
1t has secured equal treatment to all pro-
ducers In the transportation of their goods,
thus taking a long stride forward in max
ing effective the work of the interstate
commerce commission
Bureau of Corporations.
The preliminary work of the bureau
of corporations in the department has
shown the wisdom of it's creation. Pub
licity in corporate affairs will tend to do
away with ignorance, and will afford
facts upon which intelligent action may
be taken. Systematic, intelligent inves-
tigation is already developing facts the
Knowledge of which is essential to a right
understanding of the needs and duties
of the business world. The corporation
which is honestly and fairly organized,
whose managers in the conduct of its
deal squarely with their stockholders,
their competitors, and the public, has
nothing TO fear from such supervision.
The purpose of this bureau is not to em-
Infrft Ia rf
to aid in bringing about a better indus
trial condition. condition under which
there shall be obedience to law and rec
Sognition of public obligation by all cor
porations, great or small. The depart
ment of commerce and labor will be not
only the clearing house for information
regarding the business transactions of the
nation, but the executive arm of the
government to aid in strengthening our
domestic and foreign markets. in perfect
ing our transportation facilities. in build
ing up our merchant marine, in prevent
ing the entrance of undesirable immt-
grants, in improving commercial and in
dustrial conditions, and in bringing together
on common ground those necessary part
ners in industrial progress-capital and
labor Commerce between the nations
is steadily growing in volume, and the
tendency of the times Is toward closer
trade relations. Constant watchfulness
is needed to secure to Americans the
chance to participate to the best advan-
tage in foreign trade; and we may conf
IDENTITY expect that the new department
will justify the expectation of its Gre
ator5 by the exercise of this Watchful-
ness as well as by the businesSlilIe ad-
ministraton of such laws relating to our
internal affairs as are intrusted to its
care
Capital and Labor.
The consistent policy of the national gov
ernment, so far as it has the power, is to
hold in check the unscrupulous man
whether employer or employee; but to re.
fuse to weaken individual initiative or tc
hamper or cramp the industrial develop
ment of the country We recognize thai
this is an era of federation and combina.
tion. in which great capitalistlc corpora
tions and labor unions have become factors
of tremendous Importance in all industria
centers Hearty recognition is given tht
far-reaChing, beneicent work which has
been accomplished through both corpora
tions and unions, and the line as between
different corporations, as between different
unions, is drawn as it is between dlfferen
Individuals that is, 1t Is drawn on con
duct, the effort being to treat both organ
lied capital and organized labor alike; ask
ing nothing save that the interests OF eacf
shall be brought into harmony with th'
interests of the general public, and tina
the conduct of each shall conform to thu
fundamental rules of obedience to law, o
individual freedom, and of justice ant
fair dealing towards all. Whenever eithe
corporation, labor union or Individual dis
regards the law or acts in spirit of ar
DllTufy anu lSTdHHUuS interference Will
the rights of others, whether corporation
or individuals, then where the federal gov
ernment has jurisdiction, it will see to
that the misconduct is stopped, paying no
the slightest heed to the position or poWe
of the corporation. the union or the tndi
vidual, but only to one vital fact-that Is
the question whether or not the conduc
of the individual or aggregate Of individ
uals Is in accordance with the law of tn
land, Every man must be guarantee
his liberty and his right to do as he like
with his property or his labor, SO long a
he does not infringe the rights of Others
No man is above the law and no man is be
low It; nor do we ask any mans perms
sion when we require him to obey 1t. ODE
dience TO the law is demanded as a right
not asked as favor
Receipts and Expenditures.
From all sources, exclusive of the pos
al service, the receipts of the governmeI
for the last fiscal year aggregated $3.50 1896. .67
The expenditures for the same perio
were $506 ,oG, the surplus for the fisci
are that the surplus for the present fisc;
year will be very small, If, indeed, thel
be any surplus. From July to Noven
ber the receipts from customs were, al
proxmately, s9,000,000 less than the r.
ceipts from the same source for corr
spending portion of last year. Shcu
this decreaEe continue at the same rat
throughout the fiscal year, the surpl1
$1,000 600. Should the revenue from GU
toms suffer much further decrease du
ing the fiscal year, the surplus wou
vanish.
Financial Legislation Not Needed
The integrity of our currency is b
yond question, and under present conc
tions 1t would be unwise and unnecessa
to attempt reconstruction of our e
tire monetary system. The same II
erty should be granted the secretary
the treasury to deposit customs 7
ceipts as Is granted him in the deposit
receipts from other sources. In my me
sage of December Q, 1902, called atte
tion to certain needs of the financial 81
uation, and / again ask the consider
ton Of the congress for these question
The Merchant Marine.
A majority Of our people desire tn
steps be taken In the interests or Anne
lean shipping so that we may once mo
resume our former position In the oce;
carrying trade. But hitherto the diffe
ences OF opinion as to the proper meth
OF reaching this end have been so wi
that Il has proved impossible to secure t
adoption OF any particular scheme. Ha
ing In view these facts, / recommend tn
the congress direct the secretary of t
navy the postmaster general and the sc
retary OF commerce and labor, associat
with such q representation from the Sc
ate and house of representatives as [
congress In Its wisdom may designate,
serve as a commission for the purpose
investigating and reporting to the congrt
at Its next session what legislation Is {
aira hiA or uecessarY for the deyelODme