Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1904-12-09

shortly lay before Jou In special mes
| sage tbs full report OF the Investigation
OF the bureau OF labor into the Colorado
mining strike, this is strike In which
certain very evil forces which are more
or less at work everywhere under the
conditions OF modern industrialism. be-
came starthngly prominent.
Corporations.
When we come 10 deal with great cor
porations the need for the government to
act directly Is far greater than in the
case OF labor. because great corporations
can become such only by enga girg in In
terstate commerce. and Interstate COM
merce "a peculiarly the field OF the gen
erai government. 1t Is absurdlty 10 ex :
pect to eliminate the abuses in great cor
porations by state action 1t Is dffi1cult TO
be patient with argument that such
matters should be left TO the states. be-
cause more than one state rursues the
policy Of q eating on easy terms corpora
lions which are never operated itnin
that state at all. but In ether states
whose laws they ignore. The national
government alone can deal adequately
with these great corporations. To Try TO
deal with them in an Incorporate. de-
structive. or demagogic spirit would. in
all probability. mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished and. with
y
accomplished 1t would be of a harmful
nature The American people need 10
continue 10 show the very qualities that
they have shown-that is. moderation
good sense. the earnest desire to avoid
doing any damage. and yet The quiet De-
termination to proceed. step by step.
without halt and without hurry in e..rl-
mating or at least in minimizing what
ever Of mischief or OF evil there is 10 IN
terstate commerce in the conduct nj
great corporations They are acting IN
no spirit OF hostility to wealth. either In.
dividual or corporate They are not
against the sich nan any more Than
against the roor man. On the contrary
they are frierdIy alike toward -tch man
and toward poor man provided only that
each acts IN a spirit Of justice and de-
cency toward his fellows. Great corpora
lions are necessary and only men OF
great ard singular mental rover can
manage such corporations successfully
and such nan must have great rewards
s'ut these corporations should be man
aged with due regard TO the interest Of
the public as whole Where this can
be done under the present laws II must
be done Where these laws come short
others should be enacted TO supplement
them
The bureau OF corporations has made
careful preliminary investigation OF many
important corporations 1t will make, a
special report on the heef industry.
Rebates
Above all else We must strive 10 keep
the highways of commerce open 10 all
on equal terms: and to do this IT Is nee
essary 10 put a complete stop TO all re-
bates. Whether the shipper or the rail-
road Is to blame makes no difference: the
rebate must be stopped. the abuses of
the private car and private terminal
track and side track systems must be
stopped. and the legislation Of the Fifty
eighth Congress which declares It to be
unlawful for any person or corporation TO
offer. grant. give. solicit. accept. or re-
ceive any rebate concession or Liscrim-
nation in respect Of the transportation OF
any property in interstate foreign
commerce whereby such property shall
by any device whatever be transported
at less rate than that named in the
tariffs published by the carrier must be
enforced. While am OF the opinion that
at present 1t would be undesirable. If II
were not impractica BILE. finally to c.othe |
the Interstate Commerce Commission |
with general authority 10 fix railroad
rates. do not believe that as fair Sc
curity to shippers. the Commission should |
be vested with the power. where given /
rate has been challenged and after full |
hearing found to be unreasonable. to de- |
eide. subject to judicial review. what |
shall be a reasonable rate to take Its |
place; the ruling OF the commission to |
take effect Immediately. and TO obtain |
unless and until 1t is reversed by the
court OF review. In my Judgment the
most important legislative act now need
ed regards the regulation OF corpora
lions IS this act to confer on the Inter-
state Commerce Commission the power
to revise rates and regulations. the re-
vised rate to at once go into effect and
to stay In effect unless and until the
court Of review reverses 1t.
Much space is here devoted to a
of the problem OF the
proper housing of the roor In our
great cities, and the Importance OF a
proper solution of the question shown.
On this subject the message says:
There should be severe chid-labor and
actory inspection laws. 1t is very desir-
lble that married women should not ork
n factories. Thu prime duty OF the man
s to work. to be the breadwinner the
,rime duty OF the woman is to be the
mother the housewife. All questions OF
arin and finance sink into utter insig-
lificance when compared with the tire.
nendous. the vital Importance OF trying
o shape conditions so that these two
uties OF the man and OF The woman can
e fulfilled under reasonably favorable
circumstances.
Agriculture
The Department OF Agriculture ha.
rown into an educational institution
nth a faculty OF two thousand special
sts making research into all the sciences
( production. The Congress app: opria
ties. directly and Indirectly. six millions
dollars annually to carry on this work
reaches every state and terrftorv IN ,
he Union and the Islands OF the sea late
come under our flag Cooperation is
ad with the state experiment stations.
nd with many other Institutions and in. ,
ividuals The world is carefully search r
for new varieties, Of grains. fruits !
rasses. vegetables. trees. and shrubs 7
litabe to various localities in our coun. {