The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-12-08
Presidents Message

all classes in continuing the country's
prosperity and I'm correcting existing
evils. for a square deal" for every
body. the message first takes mp the
question of corporations ana railroad
rate legislation. The president says
CORPORATIONS.
! ann m mo- sense hostile 90 corpora
tions. This is au age of combination.
and amy effort TO prevent all combina-
tion will Doe not only useless. but i'm the
end vicious. because of the contempt
for law which the failure 20 enforce
law inevitably produces. The corpora
tion has come to stay, just as the
trades union has come to stay, Each
cam do and has done great good Each
should Doe favored so long as it does
good. But each should DE sharply
checked where if acts against law and
justice
Experience has shown conclusivcly
that it is useless TO try 90 get any ade-
quatc regulation and supervision of
these great corporations by state ac-
tion. such regulation ana supervision
can only Doe effectively exercised by a
sovereign whose jurisdiction is cock
tcnsive with the field work of the cor
poraiins- that is. hy the national gov
crnmcnt ] believe that this regulation
and supervision can Dee obtained 10y the
enactment of law 10y the congress. If
this proves impossible. it viii certainly
De necessary ultimately TO confer in
fullest form such power upon the ma
tional government 10y 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
I'm showing that the states have no
power I'm the matter than that the ma
tional government has power; so that
there at present exists very unfortu-
nate condition Of things. under which
these great corporations doing an I'm
terstate business occupy the position Of
subjects without a sovereign, neither
any state government nor the national
government having effective control
over them. Our steady aim should DE
hy legislation. cautiously and carefully
undertaken. but resolutely persevcred
in. to assert the sovereignty of the ma
tional government by affirmative ac-
tion.
This is only I'm form an innovation.
In substance il is merely restoration
for from the earliest time such regula-
ton Of Industrial activities has been
recognized I'm the action of the law
making bodies. and all that / propose
is TO meet the changed conditions i'm
such manner as will prevent the com
monwealth abdicating the power IT has
always possessed, not only I'm this coun-
try, but also i'm England before and
since this country became separate
nation.
RAILROAD RATE LEGISLATION.
As said i'm my message Of Dec. 6
last. the immediate and most pressing
need so far as legislation is concerned
is the enactment into law Of some
scheme to secure TO the agents of the
government such supervision and regu-
latlon of the rates charged by the rail
roads Of the country engaged in inter
/ state traffic as shall summarily and ef-
fectively prevent the imposition Of un
lust or unreasonable rates. 1t must
include putting a complete stop TO re
bates I'm every shape and form. This
power to regulate rates, like all similar
powers over the business world, should
be exercised with moderation, caution
and self restraint, but it should exist
so that it can be effectively exercised
when the need arises.
In my judgment, the most important
provision which such law should con
tain is that comforting upon some com
petent administrative body the power
10 decide upon the case being brought
before It whether a given rate pre-
scribed by a railroad is reasonable and
lust. and If It is found to be unrcason
able and unjust then. after full investl
CATION of the complaint, to prescribe
the limit of rate beyond which it shall
not be lawful to go-the maximum
reasonable rate, as it is commonly call
ed-thls decision to 90 into effect with
i'm a reasonable time and to obtain
| from thence onward. subject to review
by the courts.
1t sometimes happens at present, moi
that a rate Is too high, but that fa
vored shipper IS given too low a rate
In such case the commission would
have the right to fix this already estab
Ushed minimum rate as the maximum
and IT would need only one or two suci
decisions 10y the commission TO cure
railroad companies Of the practice OF
giving improper minimum rates. cal
vour attention TO the fact that my pro
posal is not to give the commission
power 10 initiate OF originate rates gen
orally. but 90 regulate a rate already
! fixed or originated 10y the roads upol
complaint and after investigation 4
heavy penalty should be exacted from
any corporation which fails TO respec
am order of the commission. l regar'
this power TO establish a maximum
rate as being essential 10 any scheme
of real reform i'm the matter Of railway
regulation.
Ii Is worth while considering whethe
it would not he wise to confer on th
government the right Of civil actor
against the beneficiary Of a rebate fo
nj least twice the value Of the rebate
| This would help stop what is reall.
MackmaiL Elevator allowances shoul'
be stopped. for they have now grow
10 such an extent that they are demor
ailzlng and are used as rebates.
PRIVATE CAR LINES.
All private car lines. industrial roads
refrigerator charges and the lik
should be expressly put under the su
pervision Of the interstate commerce
commission or some similar body 81