Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-12-08
Would Materially Increase the
D Powers of interstate Com
merCe Commission.
LIFE INSURANCE QUESTION
Sees GOOD and Evil ID Labor Unions
Asks for Immediate Appropri-
atoms for Panama Canal, and
Promises Report of Board of En-
gineers and Recommendations
Later---otheI Matters.

Washington, Dec. b.-The annual mes
sage of President Roosevelt was read IN
both houses of congress to-day. 1t is doc
urnent of some 24,0O0 words, and con-
talns recommendations for muchimpOrtant
legislation.
The subject Of federal supervision OF cor
pOraiions, and especially railroad corpora
tons. is the FIRST subject treated Of by the
president, and TO it he gives the greatest
amount of attention. After speaking OF the
general prosperity of the country, and the
power of the corporations for good or evil
In connection with the nations prosperity,
he says: O
So long as the finances OF the nation
are kept upon an honest basis, no other
question of internal economy with which
the congress has the power to deal begins
70 approach in Importance the matter OF
endeavOring to secure proper Industrial
conditions under which the Individually
and especially the great corporations
doing an interstate business are to act.
The makers OF our national constitution
provided especially that the regulation
OF Interstate commerce should come with
In the sphere of the general government
The arguments in favor of their taking
this stand were even then overwhelming
But they are far stronger to-day, in view
OF the enormous development of great
business agencies, usually corporate in
form. Experience has shown conclusive
iy that Ii Is useless to try to get any
adequate regulation and supervision Of
these great corporations by state action.
Such regulation and supervision can only
be effectively exercised by a sovereign
whose Jurisdiction is coextensive with the
feld Of work of the cOrporatiOns-that is,
by the national government. | believe
that this regulation and supervision can
be obtained by the enactment of law by
the congress. If this proves impossible,
1t will certainly be necessary ultimately
to confer in fullest form such power upon
the national government by a proper
amendment Of the constitution. 1t would
obviously be unwise to endeavoK to secure
such an amendment until ii is certa n
that the result cannot be obtained under
OF the congress and of the several states
hitherto. as passed upon by the courts,
nave resulted more often in showing that
the states have no power in the matter
than that the national government has
power; so that there at present exists
q very unfortunate condition of things.
under which these great corporations do
ing an interstate business occupy the Bo-
eition OF subjects without a sovereign.
neither any state government nor the ma
itional government having effective con-
troi over them. Our steady aim should
be by legislation, cautiously and care
1uily undertaken, but reSOlutely per
severed in, % assert the sovereignty of
the national government by affirmative
action
Present Laws Inadequate.
II has been misfortune that the ma.
uonal laws on this subject have hitherto
81 been oil negative or prohibitiye rathar
IMAM an Affirmative kind, and stiIl more
that they have in part sought to prohibit
what could not be effectively prohibited
and' have in part in their prohibitions
coniounded what should be allowed and
"nat should not be allowed 1t is gen.
orally useless to. tryCto prohibit all re-.
Slraint on competition. whether this re-
fTInt be reasonableOo or unreasonable.
az where II is not useless il is eener,
ally hurtWl. Events have shown that !,
is no. possible adequately to secure ne
en- or cement Of any law of this Kind bv
'lh'esSar appeal TO The courts. The do.
p"rtH'm on Justice has for the last fo,,,
devoted more attention I'd the on.
lorcPlnerr OF the antitrust leoisIa tsor
iran 10 anGhins else Much has boer
Accomplished particularly market w..
sen u'e moral effect of the prosecutions
puS II Is increasingly evident that there
evil be a very insufficient beneficial re.
suit in the way Of economic change Tbs
successful prosecution of one device Il
evade the law Immediately develops an.
other device to accomplish the same pur.
pose. What is needed0is not sweeping
prohibi, ion OF every arrangement. good
o. Dad, which nay tend to restrict com.
petition. bu, such adequate supervisor
and regulation as will prevent any re.
sictiOn OF competition from being Il
the detr:nent Of the public-as well a:
81 supervision and regulation as viii
prevent other abuses in no way connected
VIII restriction OF competition. OF thest
abuses, perhaps the chief. although hy
no means the only one is overcapitaliya.
tion-generally itself the result of dIshon
est promotion-becauSe of the myrias
evils i byings iuTits train: for such over
capitalization often means an imitation
that invites business panic. II always con
ceals the true collation. OF the profit earned
60 the capital actually invested. and 4
creates burden OF interest payment,
which Is fertile cause of Improper ne
ductlon In or lirslta.ioR Cof wages: 4
damages the Small investor. DISCOURAGE
thrift. and encourages gatnbling an,
speculation: while perhaps worst of Al
Is the thickness and dishonesty which /
implies-for harm to morals is worse tina,
any possible harm to msterlah interests
and the debauchery OF pefitics and busI
ness by great dishonest corporations. /
Ear worse than any actual material ev,
they do the public Until the nationa
government obtains. In some manne
which tae Wisdom Of the congress ma
suggest. proper control over the biz cor
poratlons engaged In Interstate commerce
that Is, over che great majority Of IN
Aig comparatively viii he impossible Z
Aesi adequately with these evils
Railroad Rate Regulation.
am we'll awarc OF the diiicnitl
- the legislation that am sugs s..