, 1904-12-06
PRESIDENT RO0sEVELT's MESSAGE
HAS VIGOROUS Recommendations

in a progressive spirit to meet crang.
ing conditions.
The enlargement of scope of the
functions of the national government
required by our development as a ma
ton involves, of course, increase of
expense, and the period of prosperity
through which the country is passing
justifies expenditures for permanent
Improvements far greater than would
be wise in hard times. Battleships and
forts. improved waterways n public
buildings, are improvements that
should be made when we have the
money, but abundant and a
large surplus always invite extrava-
gance, inc constant car should be
taken to guard ~agains. unnecessary in
crease in the ordinary expenses of the
government.
AS long as the states retain the pri-
mary control of the police power the
circumstances must be altogether eX-
IRENE which require interference by
the federal authorities. If there is re-
%sistance of the federal courts. inter
ference with the mails or interstate
commerce or m~o,estation of federal
property, or if the state authorities in
some crises which they are unable to
handle call for help. then the federal
government may interfere, but, though
such interference may be caused by a
condition of things arising out of trou-
BILE connected with some questions of
labor the interference itself simply
takes the form of restoring order-for
to keep order is a primary duty-with-
out regard to the questions which have
caused the disorder
believe that under modern indus
trial conditions 1t is often necessary,
and even where not necessary it is
often wise. that there should be organ
~ization of labor in order better to Sc
cure the rights of the wage worker in
dividuaIly. But when any labor union
seeks improper ends, or seeks to
achieve proper ends by improper
means, all good citizens must oppose
the wrong doing as they would oppose
the wrong doing of any great corpora
ton. OF course, any violence, brutal
ity or corruption should not for one
moment be tolerated. Wage workers
have an entire right to organize and
by all peaceful and honorable means
to endeaver to persuade their fellows
to join them. They have a legal right,
which may or may not be moral right.
to refuse to work in company with men
who refuse to support their organiza-
ton. Much a be done by the govern
ment in labor matters merely by CIV
ing publicity to certain conditions.
The bureau of labor has done excel
lent work of this kind in many differ
ent directions.
/ shall shortly lay before you in a
special message the full report OF the
investigation 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 industrialism become start
lingly prominent. 1t is greatly TO be
wished that the department of COM
merce and labor through the
bureau should compile and arrange for
the a list of the labor laws of
the various states, and should be given
the means to investigate and report to
the congress upon the labor conditions
in the manufacturing and mining re-
gions throughout the country, 10Th as
to wages. as to hours Of labor, as to
the labor of and children, and
as to the effect in various labor cen
tiers of immigration from abroad.
In this investigation especial atten,
ton should be paid to the condition OF
child labor and child labor legislation
ir the several states. Such an inves'
tigation must necessarily take into &C.
count many Of the problems with
which this question OF child labor is
connected. These problems can be
actually met in most cases only by the
states themselves, but the lack of pro
per LEGISLATION in one state in such a
matter as child labor often renders II
exceedingly difficult to establish pro
tective restriction upon the work IN
another state having the same dus
tries, SO that the worst tends to a