Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-12-07
PRESIDENT
MESSAGE
His recommendations to the
Congress on Many
Subjects.
As TO RAILWAY RATES.
Favors Creation Of Administrative
Body to Handle This
Matter.
REBATES HOLLY DENOUNCED
Discusses Trusts. Insurance, Revenue
Revision. Army and Navy, the
Panama Canal, Etc.
REBATES HOTLY DENOUNCED


President Roosevclt's annual mcssag &c
has been delivered TO congress. Open
ing with a plea for the cooperation of
nll classes in continuing the cOuntry's
prosperity and in correcting existing
evils, for n square DEAF for every
body, the message first takes up the
question Of corporations and railroad
rate legislation. Tie president says:
Corporations.
I am in no sense hostile to corpora
tions. This is an age of combination.
nnd any effort TO prevent all conbina-
ton will he 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 so long AZ it does
good. But each should be sharply
checked where 1t acts against law and
Justice.
Experience has shown conclusivcly
that it Is useless 10 try to get any nde
quate regulation and supervision of
these great corporations by state nc-
ton. Such regulation and supervision
can only be effectively exercised by a
sovereign whose jurisdiction is cock
tensive with the field work Of the cor
porations-that Is. by tho national gov
eminent. I believe that this regulation
and supervision can be obtained by the
enactment of law by the congress. IF
this proves impossible. 1t will certainly
he 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, MS passed upOn
by the courts, have resulted more often
In showing lint the states have no
power in 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 IN in
terstate business occupy the position Of
subjects without n sovereign. neither
any state government nor the national
government having effective control
over them. Our steady aim should be
by legislation, cautiously ana carefully
undertaken, but resolutcly persevered
| in. to assert the sovereignty Of the ma
tional government by affirmative ac-
| ton.
! This Is only in form an innovation.
In substance it is merely restoration.
| for from the earliest time such regula-
| ton of industrial activities has been
recognized in the action of the law
making bodies, and all that l propose
Is to meet the changed conditions in
such manner as will prevent the com
monwealth abdicating the power it has
always possessed, not only in this coun-
try, but also in England before and
since this country became a separate
nation.
| Railroad Rate Le6islntiOn.
| As ! said in my message OF Dec. &
last. the immediate and most pressing
need so far ms legislation is concerned
Is the enactment into law OF some
scheme to secure to the agents Of the
government such supervision and regu-
laton 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 I'M
just or unreasonable rates. 1t must
include putting complete stop to re.
bates III every shape and form This
power TO regulate rates. like all similar
pow ers over The business world, should
be exercised with moderation, caution
and self restraint but IL 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 Ia that comforting upon some com
petent administrative body the power
to decide upon the case being brought
before 1t whether Il given rate pre-
scribed by n railroad is reasonable ana
just, and IL it Is found to be unreason
able and unjust then. after full investi
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 IL commonly call
ed-this decision to go into effect with
In q reasonable time and to Obtain
from thence onward. subject to review
by the courts.
1t sometimes happens at present, no
that a rate is too high. but that tn
vored shipper is given too low rate
In such case the commission woult
have the right to fix this already estab
lished minimum rate as tho maximum
and it would need only one or two sucl
decisions by the commission to cur
railroad companies OF the practice o
giving improper minimum rates. cal
your attention to the fact that my pro
posal is not to give the commission
power to initiate or originate rates gen
orally, but to regulate n rate alread.
liked or originated by the roads upol
complaint and after investigation. !
heavy penalty should be exacted iron
any corporation which fails to respec