The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-12-09

ance among capitalists and wage workers
alike; feeling of respect on the part OF
each man for the rights Of others. a feel
ing of broad community OF interest not
merely of capitalists among themselves.
and Of wage workers among themselves.
but OF capitalists and wage workers In their
relations to each other. and OF both In their
relations to their fellows who with them
make up the body polite. There are many
captains Of industry. many labor leaders.
who realize this.
Bureau of Corporations. J.
The bureau OF corporations has made
careful preliminary investigation Of many
important corporations. 1t will make
special report on the beef industry.
The policy Of the bureau is to accomplish
the purposes OF Its creation by cooperation.
not antagonism; 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 Inaccurate reports. Its
policy being thus one OF open inquiry into.
and not attack upon. business. the bureau /
has been able to gain not only the conf |
dence. 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 production
OF our various great staples Of commerce. |
OF necessity the careful investigation Of
| special corporations will afford the COM |
| missioner knowledge of certain business
| facts. the publication OIL winch might De an |
| improper infringement of private rights.
| The method OF making public the results
| OF these Investigations affords. under the
/ law. a means for the protection of private
| rights. The congress will have all facts
| except such as would give to another cor
i poration information which would injure
/ the legitimate business of competitor and
| destroy the incentive for Individual supe-
/ riority and thrift.
The bureau has also made exhaustive
L..
der which corporate business Is carried
/ on In the various states: into all judicial
decisions on the subject. and into the
| various systems of corporate taxation In
use. 1 call special attention to the report
| Of the chief of the bureau: and 1 earn
| estly ask that the congress carefully con-
slider the report and recommendations of
the commissioner on this subject
The business of insurance vitality affects
| the great mass of the people of the
United States and is national and not
local In Its application II Involves a
multitude Of transactions among the peo-
pie of the different states and between
American companies and foreign govern
ments I urge that the congress care
fully consider whether the power OF the
bureau of corporations cannot constitu-
tionally be extended to cover interstate
transactions In insurance.
Rebates.
Above all else. we must strive to keep
the highways Of commerce open to all on
| equal terms: and to do this IL Is neces-
sary to put 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 II to be
unlawful for any person or corporation
| to offer. grant. give, solicit. accept or
, receive any rebate. concession or discrim-
ination In respect OF the transportation
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 en-
forced. For some time after the enact
ment OF the act to regulate commerce IL
remained a mooted question whether that
, act conferred upon the Interstate COM
merce commission the power. after II had
: found a challenged rate to be unreason-
able. to declare what thereafter should,
prfma facie. be the reasonable maximum
} | rate for the transportation in dispute.
; The supreme court finally resolved that
question in the negative. so that as the
2 law now stands the commission simply
| possess the bare power to denounce a
y | particular rate as unreasonable. While l
am Of the opinion that at present IL
r would be undesirable. IL 1t were not i'm
4 | practicable. finally to clothe the commits
sion with general authority to fix rail-
{ | security to shippers. the commission
q | should be vested with the power. where
d a given rate has been challenged and
q after full hearing found to be unreason-
. able. TO decide, subject to judicial re-
view. what shall be a reasonable rate to
take its place: the ruling OF the COM
q mission to take effect Immediately. and
A to obtain unless and until IL is reversed
r by the court OF review. The government
!, must in increasing degree supervise and
/ regulate the workings of the railways
, engaged IN interstate commerce: and such
v increased supervision IS the only alterna'
: | tive to an increase of the present evil:
!. | on the one hand or a still more radica
? policy on the other. In my judgment ths
: | 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 Il
revise rates and regulations. the revised
= rate to at once 60 into effect. and to stay
!. In effect unless and until the court of re
- view reverses IT,
. Department Of Agriculture.
II The department Of agriculture has grown
IS into an educational Institution with n fac
N | uity of 1000 specialists making researcl
,e into all the sciences Of production. III
N | congress appropriates. directly and indi
rectiy, $4,000 annually to carry on thu
work. II reaches every state and territcr.
In the union and the islands OF the sea late
iy come under our flag. Cooperation Is ha
- with the state experiment stations. an
sc with many other institutions and individ
N uais. The world Is carefully searched 70
le new varieties OF grains. fruits grasses
9 vegetables, trees and shrubs. suitable {
u various localities In our country: an
n marked benefit to our producers has re
y suited.
~ The activities of our age in lines of re
" search have reached the tiilers Of the so
"a "a and inspired them with ambition TO kno'
- 90 more OF the principles that govern tn
- forces of nature with which they have
- deal. Nearly half OF the people Of thi
le country devote their energies to CROWN
= things from the soil. Until recent dat
~ little has been done to prepare these mi
y, lions for their life work. In most lines q
:. M. human activity college trained men ar
y the leaders. The farmer had no oppol
tunity for special training until the cor
- gress made provision for It 40 years ag'
During these years progress has been mad
=. and teachers have been prepared. Owe
- 5000 students are In attendance at our stat
NJ | agricultural colleges. The federal govern
80 ment expends slooo0.0oo annually towar
"A this education and for research in wasl
IN ington and in the several states and terri
rii | tories. The department OF agriculture ha
n given facilities for postgraduate work
't- 100 young men during the last seven year
a. preparing them for advanced lines Of wor
n, In the department and In the state institl
"a, tions.
ss Irrigation.
I'd During the two and a half years thi
is have elapsed since the passage of th
I'd reclamation act rapid progress has bee
s. made in the surveys and examinations
ar the opportunities for reclamation in Il
a 13 states and three territories of the ar
We west. Construction has already been b
n. gun on the largest~and most importai
he of the irrigation works. and plans are b
.re ing completed for works which VIII uti
4, ize the funds now available. The operi
,,s tions are being carried on by the reel
L. nation service. corps of engineers s.