Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-06


nent by the great trunk lines Of lateral
and branch lines.
II urge upon the congress the need OF
providing for expeditions action by IT,
| Interstate Commerce commission In all
these matters, whether I'm regulating rates
| for transportation or for storing or for
handling property or commodities In
| gated under the present commerce act
shows that it's eficacy has been to great
: degree destroyed by the weapons of delay
almost the most formidable weapon In the
hands OF those whose purpose It is to
violate the law"
safety Appliances.
The president again calls attention 10
the necessity for laws requiring the use
Of block signals upon railroads engaged
| In interstate commerce and asks for an
Improvement of the government inspection
| service to enforce the same.
Labor Problems.
Legislation is recommended limiting the
hours OF continuous labor OF railroad enl-
ployes engaged in the movement and ope-
ration Of trains TO safeguard travel
former recommends ton Is repeated for the
| enactment of an employers liability law
for the District Of Columbia and in our
navy yards. He recommends that all the
formidable group of problems connected
more or less directly with what Is known
as the labor question, which for the most
part must be dealt with by the state and
municipal authority. be taken up for the
District of Columbia so as to make the
city Of washington a model city as re-
CARDS parks. public fairgrounds. houses of
workingmen, education, truancy, charities
and factory laws. He opposes deprivtng
the courts Of the power to issue injunc-
lions In labor disputes as unwise, but looks
more favorably upon regulating Injunction
procedure by requiring the Judge to give
due notice to adverse parties before grant
ing the writ. He renews a former recon-
mendation for an investigation by the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor OF gen.
eral labor conditions and also for an in
vestigation of the conditions Of women In
industry with particular reference to the
disturbance worked in domestic and social
life of the nation.
Capital and Labor.
The question OF securing a healthy. self
respecting and mutually sympathetic atti-
tude as between employer ana employee
capitalist and wageworker, is a difficult
one. All phases Of the labor problem prove
difficult when approached. But the under
lying principles, the root principles, in ac-
cordance with which the problem must
be solved are entirely simple. We can
get justice and right dealing only IL we
put as OF paramount Importance the prln-
ciple of treating n man on his worth as
man rather than with referencel to his
social position. his occupation, or the class
TO which he belongs. There are selfish
and brutal men In all ranks of life. II
they are capitalists their sel1shness and
! brutality may take the form of hard in
difference to suffering, greedy disregard of
every moral restraint which lnterferes with
the accumulation of wealth and cold
! blooded exploitation of the weak; or, II
they are laborers. the form Of laziness. Of
sulien envy OF the more fortunate and Of
willingness 10 perform deeds of murder
Gus violence. Such conduct is Just as repre-
hensible in one case as in the other, and
ali honest and farseeinR men should Join
in warning against 1t wherever it becomes
manifest. Individual capitalist and indi-
vidual wageworker, corporation and union
| are alike entitled TO the protection of the
law. and must alike obey the law.
Insurance.
1.-THE great insurance companies AFFORD
striking examples Of corporations whose
business has extended so far beyond the
jurisdiction of the states which created
/ them as to preclude strict enforcement of
| supervision and regulation by the parent
states. In my last annual message I recon-
mended that the congress carefully con-
slider whether the power OF the Bureau OF
Corporations cannot constitutionally be ex-
tended to cover interstate transactions in
insurance? Recent events have emphasized
! the importance OF an early and exhaustive
consideration of this question, to see
whether 1t is not possible to furnish better
/
| been able to furnish against corruption of
the fragrant kind which has been exposed
| 1t has been only too clearly shown that
| certain OF the men at the head OF these
large corporations take but small note of
| the ethical distinction between honesty and
dishonesty; they draw the line only this
side of what may be called law honesty,
! the kind OF honesty necessary In order to
avoid falling into the clutches of the law
| OF course the only complete remedy for
! this condition must be found In an aroused
public conscience, a higher sense Of ethical
conduct in the community at large and
! especially among business men and in the
| great profession of the law, and in the
| growth of spirit which condemns ell dis
1 honesty, whether in rich or in poor man,
whether 1t takes the shape Of a bribery or
of blackmail. But much can be done by
legislation which Is not only drastic but
practical. There Is need OF a far stricter
and more uniform regulation of the vast
/ insurance interests of this country. The
! United States should In this respect follow
! the policy of other nations by providing
! adequate national supervision of CONNER
cial interests which are clearly national in
! character. My predecessors have repeat
| eddy recognized that the foreign business
OF these companies is an Important part OF
! our foreign commercial relations. During
the administrations of Presidents Cleve-
land, Harrison and Mckinley the State De-
partment exercised It's influence through
diplomatic channels. to prevent unjust dis
elimination by foreign countries against
| American insurance companies. Those ne
gotiations illustrated the propriety OF the
! congress recognizing the national charac-
ter of insurance, for In the absense of fed
I erRl legislation the State department could
I only give expression TO the wishes OF the
authorities OF the several states, whose
policy was ineffective through want of uni
] formity.
81 repeat my previous Recommendation
that the congress should also consider
whether the federal government has any
power OF owes any duty with respect TO
I domestic transactions in Insurance OF an
interstate character. That state supervision
has proved inadequate Is generally con-
ceded The burden upon Insurance com
panies, and therefore the policy holders. OF
conflicting regulations of many states he
4 unquestioned while but little effective
check is imposed upon any able and un-
scrupulous man who desires to exploit tina
company in his own interest at the expense
| OF the policy holders and OF the public.
The inability OF state TO regulate ef-
fectively insurance corporations created un-
der the laws OF other states and transa ctins
the larger part OF their business elsewhere
! Is also clear. AS a remedy for this eIyil
OF conflicting. ineffective and yet burden
some regulations there has been for MANY
years a widespread demand for federal an
pervision. The congress has already recog-
! nized that interstate insurance may he q
proper subject for federal legislation for
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