The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-03
LONGEST MESSAGE
FROM ROOSEVELT
Presidents Communication to
Congress Breathes Spirit of
Americanism.
Nau York Herald sneoial Service.

& New YORK herald oneclal oerVlcs' 2
Washington, Dec. 2.-President Roose-
welt has written message to congress
full of confidence as to the future,
breathing deep spirit of Americanlsm,
dealing with those questions which ne
has thrust to the front in advance OF his
party, and proposing remedies with
calm reliance in the capacity OF congress
to handle them. E
It is a very long message. Perhaps
such long one had never before been
written by a president to congress. me
newspaper that prints it all will have to
issue supplement. but there is no
doubt that it will be read with great
eagerness by the two classes OF persons
into which the American people have
become divided-those who follow the
president in all things and those who
follow him only in some.
The Paramount Issue. -
The item which will attract the most
attention is the paramount ISSUE IN
American politics-those devoted to the
discussion of the railroad question
Less than one page was devoted to a
discussion of the rate question a year
ago, but that was sufficient to keep con-
press in turmoil thruout it's entire ses-
sior. In the message, which is to be
read to congress next Tuesday, much
space will be devoted to rates and COM
panion subjects. =.
It will be found that the president in
his direction stands almost where ne
stood year ago, but not exactly.
Then he said that while it was unde-
sirablet to clothe the Interstate commerce
commission with general authority to
fix railroad rates, he did believe that
the commission should be vested with
the "power, where given rate should
be challenged, and after a full hearing
found to be unreasonable, to decide,
subject to judicial review, what shall
be reasonable rate to take it's place.
the ruling of the commission to take
effect Immediately, and obtain unless
and until reversed by the court of re-
VieG.'
Power to Make Rates.
In his message the president, it is
understood, takes the position that this
power should be vested in the inter
state commerce commission or some
other power created by the federal gov
eminent and that it. should have author
ity to fix maximum rate, that is tt
say, a rate above which the carriers
shall not go, until the matter has beer
reviewed by the court. But the presi
dent still stands out for law which
would put the rate in effect and KEEP
it there, and to all intents>and purposes
his position is the same as last year
because there would seem to be no like
Ihood of agreement on some rate-regu
lating body outside of the interstat
commerce commission. y }e13S
The message is said to be a yer.
elaborate discussion of the problem
The suggestion is made that the pr
vate car lines, combined rail and waite
lines, other auxiliary transportatio
companies, elevators, etc., be brough
within the control of the interstat
commerce commission: The presiden
also devotes some attention to the ne
COSTLY of preventing ruinous rate wal
and unfair competition and says
might be a good thing if the difrerer
trunk lines were allowed to meet an
consult about rates. This may b
taken by some railroads as an intim:
ton from the president that the
might have the right to pool if the
withdrew their opposition to the NOR
central point in his legislation.
Insurance Control.
The president will be found to k
no laggard in the cause of strengthen
ing the hands of the federal govern
ment. This is what his opponents ca
Capitalization. It comes out in b
discussion of the insurance question ;
well as the railroad squestion. 1t als
comes out in his discussion of the co
H0HAHH1E TT