Free press., 1904-12-10

whose laws they ignore. The national
government alone can deal adequately
with these greah 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
absolute certainty. that if anything We're
accomplished it would be of harmful
nature. The American people need to
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 to 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 are 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
uons 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
special report on the beef industry.
Bureau of Corporations.
The policy of the bureau is to accom-
plish the purposes of its creation by CO.
operation. not antagonism; by making
constructive legislation. not destructive
prosecution. the immediate object of it's
inquiries; by conservative investigation
Of law and fact, and by refusal to issue
incomplete and hence necessarily inaccu-
rate reports. Its policy being thus one
of open inquiry into. and not alta ok up
on. business. the bureau has been able to
gain not only the confidence. but, better
still, the cooperation of men engaged in
legitimate business.
The bureau offers to the Congress the
means of getting at the cost OF produc-
tion of our various great staples OF COM
merce.
Rebates.
Above all else, we must strive to keep
the highways of commerce open to all
on equal terms; and to do this it is nee
essary to put a complete stop to ali re-
bates. Whether the shipper the rail-
road is to blame makes no difference; the
rebate must be stopped, the abuses of
the private car and private terminal
track ana SlQS-GraCk 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, discrim-
ination in respect of the transporta ton of
any property in interstate or 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
~ S1T% %I,1- .s,,s1 49,
at present it would be undesirable, if it
were not inpra finally to clothe
the Interstate Commerce Commission
with general authority to fix railroad
rates, do not believe that, 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
unless and until it is reversed by the
court OF review. In my judgment the
most important legislative act now need
ed as regards the regulation of corpora
tions is this act to confer 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 it,
Much space is here devoted to a
consideration of the problem of the
proper housing of the poor 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 child-labor and
factory-inspection laws 1t is very desir-
able that married women should not FORK
in factories. The prime duty Of the man
is to work, to be the breadwinner; the
prime duty of the woman is to be the
mother. the housewife. All questions of
tariff and finance sink into utter insig-
nifieance when compared with the tre-
mendous, the vital Importance OF trying
to shape conditions so that these two
duties of the man and OF the woman can
be fulfilled under reasonably favorable
circumstances. If race does not have
plenty Of children, if the children do
not grow up. or If when they grow up
they are unhealthy in body and stunted
or vicious in mind. then that race is de-
cadent. and no heaping up of wealth, no
sDlendor of momentary material prosper
ity, can avail in any degree as Offsets.
Agriculture.
The Department Of Agriculture has
grown into educational institution
with faculty Of two thousand special
lists making research into all the sciences
Of production. The Congress appropria-
ates, directly and indirectly, six millions
of dollars annually to carry this work.
It reaches every state and territory in
the Union and the islands of the sea late
ly come under our flag. Cooperation is
had with the state experiment stations.
and with many other institutions and in
dividuals. The world is carefully search
ed for new varieties of grains. fruits.
grasses. vegetables trees, and shrubs,
suitable to various localities in our coun-
try; and marked benefit to our producers
has resulted.
Irrigation.
During the two and half years that
have elapsed since the passage of the
reclamation act rapid progress has been
made in the surveys and examinations of
| the opportunities for reclamation in the
| thirteen states and three territories OF
/ the arid West. Construction has already
/ been begun on the largest and most i'm
portant OF the irrigation works. and plans
are being completed for works which viii
utilize the funds now available. The
/ reclamation act has been found to be re-
markabIy complete and effective. and so
broad fn its provisions that a wide range
! OF undertakings has been possible under
/ IT. At the same time. economy Is guar
anteed by the fact that the funds must
/ ultimately be returned to be used over
again.
establishment Of game reserves
I wherein may be preserved specimens