Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1904-12-08

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
tons 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 it 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.
Bureau of Corporations.
The policy OF the bureau is to accom-
plish the purposes of it's creation by CO.
operation. not antasonism; by making
constructive legislation. not destructive
prosecution, the immediate object OF its
inquiries; by conservative investigation
of law and fact, and by refusal to issue
incomplete and hence necessarily inaccu-
rate reports. It's policy being thus one
of open inquiry into. and not attack 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-
ton 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 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 oiscrim-
nation in respect of the transportation of
any property in interstate or foreign
commerce whereby such property shall
by any device whatever be transported
at a less rate than that named in the
tariffs published by the carrier must be
enforced. While arr of the opinion that
at present it would be undesirable, if it
were not impracticable. finally to clothe
The Interstate Commerce Commission
with general authority to fix railroad
rates. L DO not DeleNe lnat, as q fatr 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 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 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 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 --ork
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-
WHen COIHpdTeU WITH the ire
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 a race does not have
plenty of children, or if the children do
not grow up. or if when they grow I'D
they are unhealthy in body and stunted
or vicious in mind, then that race is de-
cadent. and no heaping up of wealth. no
Splendor of momentary material prosper
ity, can avail in any degree as offsets.
Agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture has
grown into an educational institution
with a 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 on this work.
1t 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 a half years that
IldNc tidpSeQ Since the passage OIL 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 inn
portant of the irrigation works, and plans
are being completed for works which will
utilize the funds now available. The
reclamation act has been found to be re-
| markedly complete and effective. and sc
| broad in its provisions that 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.
| 1t is the cardinal principle of the for
| est-reserve policy of this Administration
| that the reserves are for use. What
\ ever irterferes with the use of their re-
| sourcs is to be avoided by every possible
means. But these resources must be used
| in such a way as to make them perma-
| nent.
| Although the wisdom OF creating for
| est reserves is nearly everywhere heart
| lily recognized, yet in a few localities
| there has been misunderstanding and
complaint. The following statement 1:
therefore desirable:
The forest-reserve policy can be sue
4
| of the people of the West. 1t can moi
| safely. and should not in any case, be i'm
| posed upon them against their will. But
| neither can we accept the views of those
| whose only interest in the forest is tenn
| porary; who are anxious to reap what
| they have not sown and then move away
! leaving desolation behind them.
The making of forest reserves within
| railroad and wagon-road land-grant linn
| its will hereafter. as for the past thret
years. be so managed as to prevent the
issue, under the act of June 4. 1897. o.
base for exchange or lieu selection (usu
ally called scrip. In all cases where
! forest reserves within areas covered by
| land grants appear to be essential tt
| the prosperity of settlers, miners. or 9th.
ers. the government lands within sucl
proposed forest reserves will. as in the
recent past. be withdrawn from sale o.
entry pending the completion of sucf
negotiations with the owners of the lant
| GRANTS will -flravar1t the creation Of an