The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-12-07
Labor Question Is Discussed at
Considerable Length In
Message.
REpREsENTATI0NFOR ALASKA
President Says corporhsions Attitude
Must DO One Of Publicity Rather
Than Of Secrecy In the Future.
Other issues Discussed.

Washington. Dec. 9,
To the Senate and House OF Repreaen-
tativca.
The nation continues 10 enjoy note
worthy prosperity. Such prosperity ~
OF course primarily due TO the nigh
individual average OF our citizenship.
taken together with our great natural
resources; but an important factor
therein Ia the working Of our long
continued governmental policies. The
people have emphatlcally expressed
their approval Of the principles UNDER
lying these policies. and their desire
tba, these principles be kept substan-
TALLY unchanged. although OF course
applied In progressive spirit to meet
changing conditions.
The enlargement OF scope OF the
functions OF the national government
required by our development ms ma
tion involves. of course, increase OF ex-
penae: and the period OF prosperity
through which the country In passing
justlfics expenditures for permanent
improvements far greater than would
be wise In hard times. Battle ships
and forts. public buildings, ana i'm
proved waterways are investments
which should be made when we have
the money. but abundant revenues and
a large surplus always invite extrava-
gance and constant care should be
taken to guard against unnecessary
increase Of the ordinary expenses OF
government. The cost OF doing gov
crnment business should be regulated
with the same rigid scrutiny as the cost
OF doing private business,
Capital and Labor.
In the vast and complicated mecha-
ism OF our modern civilized life the
dominant note Ia the note OF industrial-
ism; and the relations OF capital and
labor, and especially of organized capi-
tai and organized labor, to each other
and TO the public at large come second
In Importance only to the Intimate
questions OF family life. Our peculiar
form OF government. with its SHARP d.
vision of authority between the nation
and the several states, has been on the
whole far more advantageous to our
development than n more strongly CEN
tralized government. But II Ia undoubt-
edly responsible for much OF the DIM
Guilty OF meeting with adequate legisla-
tIon the new problems presented by the
total change In Industrial conditions
on this continent during the last half
proved exceedingly dlfficult, and In
many cases impossible, to get unan-
unity OF wise action among the various
states on these subjects, From the very
nature Of the case this Is especially
true Of the laws affecting the employ
ment of, capital in huge masses
with regard to labor the problem Is
no less important, but II Is simpler
As long as the states retain the prl-
mary control OF the police power the
circumstances must be altogether ex-
treme which require interference by
the federal authorities.
| believe that under modern indus
trial conditions Il is often necessary
and even where not necessarplt Il is yet
often wise, that there should be organ
izatlon OF labor in order better TO sc
cure the rights of the individuaIwage-
worker. All encodragewent should be
given to any such organization, 80
long az It is conducted with due and
decent regard for the rights Of others
There are in this country some labor
unions which have habituallyand other
labor unions which have often, been
among the most effective agents In
working for good citizehsnip and for