The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-06

Cautions congress against extrava@
gance.
Deals with relations of the governs
ment to labor and capital.
Approves labor unions.
Advocates a stringent employers
liability law.
Urges passage of laws governing
operation of railroads, among which
are ono making block signal system
compulsory and one limiting the hours
of service of employees.
Declare the governments canno0
countenance the "closed shop" In its
business.
Federal employees must not organize
to extort higher salaries.
Promises special message on Coloa
RADIO labor situation.
Corporations must be dealt with by
the general government.
Promises special report on the beef
industry.
A complete stop must be put to sys~
tenn of rebates.
Management of the pension bureau
is commended.
Substitution of salaries for fees i'm
the consular service.
A national quarantine law.
Every silver dollar should be made
redeemable in gold.
Encouragement of the merchants
marine.
Naturalization laws should be re-
vised.
Recommends federal election law.
Alaska should have a delegate in
congress.
Should be no halt I'm the upbuiIding
of the American navy.
A lower tariff rate for the Phillip
pines.
No mention of the tariff.
Washington, Dec. 6.-President
Roosevelt today submitted his annual
message to the congress. 1t follows:
To the Senate and House of Represent
The nation continues to enjoy note
worthy prosperity. Such prosperity is
of course primarily due to the high in
dividual average of our citizenship, ta-
ken together with our great natural re-
sources; but an important factor there
in is the working of our long-continued
governmental policies. The people have
emphatically expressed their approval
of the principles underlying these pol
icies, and their desire that these prin-
ciples be kept substantially unchanged.
although of course applied in a progress
Sive spirit to meet changing conditions.
Caution Against Extravaganza.
The enlargement of scope of the func-
tions of the national government re-
quired by our development as a nation
involves, of course increase of expenses
and the period of prosperity through
which the country is passing justifies
expenditures for permanent improve.
ments far greater than would be wise
in hard times. But ships and forts,
public buildings and improved water
ways are investments which should be
made when we have the money; but
abundant revenues and a large surplus
always invite extravaganza, and con-
stant care should be taken to guard
against unnecessary increase of the or
binary expenses Of government. The
cost of doing government business
should be regulated with the same rigid
scrutiny as the cost of doing a private
business.
Capital and Labor.
In the vast and complicated mechan-
ism of our modern civilized life the
dominant note is the note of Industrial
ism and the relations of capital and
labor and especially of organized cap
ita1 and organized labor to each other
and to the public at large come second
in importance only to the intimate
questions of family life Our peculiar
form CT g Jvernment, with its sharp di-
vision of authority between the nation
and the several states, has been on the
whole far more advantageous to our de-
velopment than a more strongly cen
tra1ized government But it is undoubt-
edly responsible for much of the diff
Guilty of meeting with adequate legisla-
tion the new problems presented by the
total change in industrial conditions on
this continent during the last half cen
tury. In actual practice it has proved
exceedingly difficult, and in many cases
impossible, to get unanimity of wise ac-
tion among the various states on these
subjects. From the very nature of the
case this is especially true of the laws
affecting the employment of capital in
huge masses.
With regard to labor The problem is
no less important, but it is simpler. AS
long as the states retain the primary
control of the police power the circum-
stances must be altogether extreme
eral authorities, whether in the way of
the rights of labor or in
the way of seeing that wrong is not
done by unruly persons who shield
themselves behind the name of labor.
If there is resistance to the feA<4
courts interference with the mails, or
interstate commerce, or molestation OF
federal property, or II the state author
tiles in some crisis which they are un-
able to face call for help, then the fed
eraI government may interfere; but
though such interference may be caused
by a condition of things arising out of
trouble connected with some question
of labor, the interference itself simply
takes the form of restoring order with
out regard to the questions which have
caused the breach of order-for to keep
order is a primary duty and in time q
disorder and violence all other question:
sink into allegiance until order has been
restored. In the District of Columbia
and in the territories the federal law
covers the entire field of government;
but the labor question is only acute in