Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1904-12-07

Of the bureau Of labor into the Colorado
mining strike. as this is a strike in which
certain very evil forces. which are. more
or less at work everywhere under the
conditions OF modern industriallsm, be-
came startlingly prominent.
Corporations.
When we come to 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 engaging in in
terstate commerce. and Interstate com
merce Is peculiarly tho field OF the gen
eral government. II Is an absurdlty to ex-
pect to eliminate the abuses IN great cor
porations by state action 1t is difilcult to
be patient with an argument that such
matters should be left to the states. be-
cause more than one state nursues the
policy OF creating on easy terms corpora
tons which are never operated within
that state at all. but In other 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 demagoglc spirit would. in
all probability, mean that nothing what
ever would be accomplished. and, with
absolute certainty that II anything were
accomplished 1t would be OF harmful
nature The American people need 10
continue to 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 elm
| mating or at least in minimizing what
ever OF mischief or OF evil there Is 10 in
terstate commerce in the conduct Of
| great Corporations, They are acting in
no spirit OF hostility TO wealth either In
dividual or corporate. They ais not
against the rich man any more than
against the POOR man. On the contrary
they are friendly alike toward rich 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 and singular mental power can
manage such corporations successfully.
and such man must have great rewards,
But these corporations should be man
aged with due regard TO The interest Of
the public as a whole. Where this can
be done under the present laws 1t 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 beef industry.
Rebates.
| ADOVe alt else. we must strive 10 keep
the highways OF commerce open to all
on equal terms; and 10 do this it is nee
essary TO put complete stop to all re-
bates. Whether the shipper or the rail
road Is to blame makes no differences 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 1t to be
unlawful for any person or corporation TO
offer. grant, give, solicit, accept. or re-
celve any rebate. concession or Liscrim-
nation In respect OF the transportation OF
any property In interstate or foreign
commerce whereby such property shall
by any device whatever be Transported
tariffs published by the carrier must be
enforced. While I am OF the opinion that
at present It would be undesirable II II
were not impracticable, finally to clothe
the Interstate Commerce Commission
with general authority to fix railroad
rates. do not believe that. as a fair Sc
curity to shippers. the Commission should
be vested with the power where a 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
| ullltoS dlu hliAll IL - ItNtlStu ny the
court OF review. In my Judgment the
most important legislative act now need
ed MS 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-
n 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
consideration Of the problem of the
proper housing of the poor in oul
great cities, and the Importance Of O
proper solution of the question shown
On this subject the message says:
There should be severe child-labor and
factory-inspection laws 1t is very desir.
able that married women should not yorl
In factories. The prime duty OF the mar
IL TO work. to be the breadwlnner; the
primo duty OF the woman is to be the
mother, the housewife. All questions OF
tariff and finance sink into utter insig.
nihcance when compared with the tire
mendous, the vital Importance OF trying
to shape conditions so that these two
duties of the man and OF the woman car
be fuhlled under reasonably favorable
circumstances.
Agriculture
The Department OF Agriculture ha.
grown into nm educational institution
with faculty OF two thousand special.
lists making research Into all the science.
OF production. The Congress appropria
ates, directly and indirectly. six million.
OF dollars annually 10 carry on this work
It reaches every state and territory ir
the Union and the islands OF the sea late.
~ come under our flag, Cooperation Is
had with the state experiment stations
and with many other Institutions and in.
divlduals The world is carefully search
cd for new varieties OF grains. fruits
grasses. vegetables trees. and shrubs
suitable to various localities In our coun.
has resulted.
Irrigation.
During the two and a half years that