Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-12-08
PRES|DEMT'SMESSAGE


ing with a plea for the cooperation Of
all classes In continuing the country &
prosperity and in correcting existing
evils, for a square deal" for every
body, the message first takes up the
question of corporations and railroad
rate legislation. The president says:
Corporations.
am In no sense hostile to corpora
tions. This Is an age Of combination,
and any effort TO prevent all comblna-
ton will be not only useless, but In the
end vicious, because OF the contempt
for law which the failure to enforce
law inevitably produces. The corpora
ton has come TO stay, just as the
trades union has come to stay. Each
can do and has done great good. Each
should be favored 80 long ~ 1t does
good. BSAA each should be sharply
checked wh1ke It acts against law and
Justice.
Experience has shown concluslyely
that II is useless to try to get any ade'
quate regulation and supervision of
these great corporations by state ac'
tlon. Such regulation and supervision
ran only be effectively exercised by a
sovereign whose Jurisdiction Is cock
tensive with the field work Of the cor
poratons-that Is, by the national gov
ernment. | believe that this regulation
and supervision can be obtained by the
enactment OF law by the congress. II
this proves impossible, 1t will certainly
be necessary ultimately to confer In
fullest form such power upon the ma
tional government by affirmative ac'
ment Of the constitution.
The laws of the congress and OF the
several states hitherto, as passed upon
by the courts, have resulted more often
In showing that the states have nc
power In the matter than that the ma
tional government has power; 10 that
there at present exists n very unfortu
nate condition Of things, under which
these great corporations doing an in
terstate business occupy the position OF
subjects without n sovereign, neither
any state government nor the natlona
government having effective contro
over them. Our steady aim should b'
by legislation, cautiously and carefully
undertaken, but resolutely persevered
in, to assert the sovereignty Of the ma
tlonal government by affirmative nc
ton
u1,la 10 nnIv In farm nm luuovatinn
In substance II Is merely restoration
for from the earliest time such regulu
tlon OF Industrial activities has beer
recognized In the action OF the law
making bodies, and all that propose
! Is to meet the changed conditions IL
such manner as will prevent the com
monwealth abdlcating the power II has
. always possessed, not only I'm this coun
try, but also In England before ant
since this country became u separate
nation.
Railroad Rate Legislation.
As said In my message OF Dec.
last, the immediate and most pressing
, need 80 far as legislation IL concerned
is the enactment into law OF som'
scheme to secure to the agents Of tn,
government such supervision and regu
latlon Of the rates charged by the rail
roads OF the country engaged In inter
state traffic as shall summarlly and ef
fectively prevent the imposition Of un
just or unreasonable rates. II mus
include putting IL complete stop to re
bates In every shape and form. Thi'
power to regulate rates, like all similar
powers over the business world, shoult
be exercised with moderation. caution
and self restraint, but II should exist
no that II cun be effectively exercised
when the need arises,
In my Judgment, the most importan
provision which such law should con
tain is that comforting upon some com
petent administrative body the powe
TO decide upon the case being brough
before II whether given rate pre-
scrlbcd by railroad Is reasonable an,
lust, and II II IL found to be unreasOn
able and unjust then, after full inyestl
CATION OF the complaint, to prescrib
the limit of rate beyond which II shal
q not be lawful to go-the maximum
reasonable rate, us II IL commonly call
ed-thls decision TO 80 into effect with
In II reasonable time and TO Obtain
from thence onward. subject TO review
by the courts.
II sometimes happens at present, no
that rate IL. too high, but that IN
yorcd shipper is given too low rate
In such case the commission woulI
have the right TO fix this already cstab
llshed minimum rate as the maximum
and II would need only one or two sucl
railroad companies OF the practice o
giving improper minimum rates. cal
your attention to the fact that my pro
posal ls not TO give the commission
power TO initiate or originate rates gen
orally, but TO regulate rate alrcad.
fixed or originated by the roads upol
complaint and after investigation.
heavy penalty should be cXacted frOn
any corporation which fails TO rcspec
nm order Of the commission | regar
this power to establish maximum
rate ~ being essential 10 any schem
OF real reform In the matter OF rOllwa.
regulation
II IL worth while considering whethe
II would not be wise TO confer ON tn
government the right Of civil Octiol
against the beneficiary Of u rebate 70
at least twice the value of the rebate
This would help stop what Is rcall.
blackmall Elevator allowances shoul,