Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-12-10

| special corrorhtfuna W1n Hff0rd We lsnSu'
missioner knowledge of certain business
facts, the publication OF which might be
| 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
poration information which would injure
| the legitimate business OF competitor and
destroy the incentive for individual su.
| perority and thrift.
Insurance is the next topic discussed.
| Since this business vitality affects the great
mass OF the people and is National. not
| local, it ia urged that Congress consider
| whether the power of the Bureau OF Cor.
| porations cannot be extended to cover in.
| terstate transactions in insurance. The
| President maintains that to keep the rail-
ways open to all on equal terms it is nee.
| essary to put complete stop to all re.
| bates, the abuses of the private car and
| private terminal.track and side-track sys'
| tenn It is urged as the most important
| act with respect to the regulation of cor
| porations that power be given to the In.
| terstate Commerce Commission to revise
rates when a railroad tariff has been chal.
| lenged.
Much space in the message is devoted to
| the subject of making the city of Washing.
| ton an example to other American munic..
| Qualities The slums should be abolished
| ton laws should be passed.
1t ia very desirable that married women
should not work 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 insignifcance when compared with
the tremendous, 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 favora-
BILE circumstances. IF race does not have
plenty of children. or 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 decadent,
and no heaping up of wealth, no splendor
| of momentary material prosperity, can
a~c;l in any degree as offsets.
The work of the Department OF Agri-
| culture is next reviewed.
] The Congress appropriates, 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 lately come under our
| flag. Cooperation is had with the State
experiment stations, and with many other
institutions and individuals. The world
is carefully searched for new varieties of
| grains, fruits, grasses, vegetables. trees,
and shrubs. suitable to various localities in
| our country: and marked benefit to our
| producers has resulted.
Nearly half of the people of this coun.
| try devote their energies to growing things
| from the soil. Until a recent date little
has been done to prepare these millions for
| their life work.
Over five thousand students are in at
| tendance at our State agricultural col
leges. The Federal Government expends
ten millions of dollars annually toward this
education and for research in Washing
| ton and in the several States and Terri
| tories.
Successful manufacturing depends pri-
marilv on cheap food which accounts to
| considerable extent for our growth in
ture. by careful inspection of meats, guards
the health of our people and gives clean
bills of health to deserving exports; it is
prepared to deal promptly with imported
diseases of animals, and maintain the en-
cellence of our focks and herds in this
respect. There should be an annual CEN
sus of the live stock of the Nation.
The reference to irrigation is brief and
without recommendation and then the sub
iect of forests is taken up. After showing
their Importance to the country, the Presi.
dent urges the creation of forest service
in the Department of Agriculture, because
the work will then be under single head
and the reserves will be handled by the
man in the field instead of the man in the
office and thus be made self-supporting.
1t is also urged upon Congress that game
other large beasts, now nearing extinction,
be established. The limits of the Yellow.
stone Park should be extended and the
Canyon of Colorado, the Yosemite and
groves of giant trees in California should
be made National parks.
"rhe veterans of the Civil War have
n claim upon the Nation such as no other
body of our citizens possess. The Pension
Bureau has never in it's history been man
il now the case" says the President, re-
feEsng t4 Thu sab S. present Indian
policy is advised. whereby the wards of the
Nation are gradually made to work for
their living.
"In 1907 there will be held at Hampton
Roads the tri-centennial celebration of
the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia.
. | commend this to your favor
able consideration. says the President.
The message declares that the Postal
Service has increased in efficiency and that
the Rural Free Delivery Service has been
most successful.
An improvement in the Consular Service
is to be desired.
4 National Art Gallery is recommended.
National quarantine laws are advised.
The message calls attention to the great
extravaganza in printing and binding Gov
eminent publications. Many of them are
not needed or read, and one-half could be
dispensed with.
Attention of Congress should be espe-
cially given to the currency question:" de.
clares the President. every dollar should
be made by law redeemable in gold at the
option of the holder" Retirement of the
greenbacks is suggested.
The President commends the special at
tention of Congress to the encouragement
of our merchant marine.
The growing Importance of the Orient
as field for American commerce is re-
ferred to at length.
"T here is no danger in having too many
immigrants of the right kind" it is de-
clared. '"But the citizenship of this conn-
should take the greatest care about natur.
alization. There should be a
comprehensive revision of the naturaliza-
ton laws" states the message.
The laws relative to citizenship must also
be revised, it is declared.
The President recommends the enact
ment of a law directed against bribery and
corruption in Federal elections.
Long delays in criminal prosecution
should be done away with.
In regard to Alaska the President rec
ommends that district judges and courts
be Invested of their administrative powers
and that these be cast upon the Governor.
He says that Alaska should have a delegate
to Congress. A trunk line of railway is
recommended to connect the Gulf OF
Alaska with the Yukon River through
American territory Salmon, hatcheries
should be established.
Taking up Hawaii and Porto Rico, it is