Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-12-05
TUESDAY EVENING. DEC. 5, 1906

THE MESSAGE Of President Roosevelt
was sent to Congress today. 1t war
voIuminous and made Sc pages in close
" printed pamphlet form. The Presi-
dent in his Introductory observations
again calls attention to the prevailing
period of prosperity with which the
country is blessed. The first subject to
which he calls attention is corporations,
and he devotes about nine pages to these
modern institutions He is OF the opin-
ion, in the face of present conditions,
tha, the government should exercise
some effective supervision over their
corporate use. His excellency, however,
AYERS that he is in no sense hostile to
corporations. He says;
This is an age of combination, and
any effort to prevent all combination
will be not only useless, but in the end
vicious. because of the contempt for law
which the failure TO enforce law ineyi-
tably produces. We should, moreover,
oenize in cordial and ample fashion
the immense good affected by corporate
agencies in country such as ours, and
the wealth of intellect, energy and tidel-
ity devoted to their service, and there
fore normally to the service OF The public
by their officers and directors. The
CORPORATION has come to stay, just
as the trade union has come TO
stay. Each can do and has done
grCat good. Each should be favored so
long as it does good But each should
be sharply checked where it acts against
law and justice " + The De-
p;rtment of Justice has for the last four
wears devoted mOre attention to the en-
forcement of the antitrust legislation
than TO ANYTHING else Much has been
accomplished; particularly marked has
been the moral effect Of the prosecutions;
but it is increasingly evident that there
will be a very insufficient beneficial re-
suit in the way of economic change
The successful prosecution OF one device
TO evade the law Immediately de-
yelops another device TO accom-
plsh the same purpose. What Is
needed is not sweeping prohibition OF
every arrangement, good or bad,
which may tend to restrict competition,
but such adequate supervision and regu-
Iftion as will prevent any restriction
competition from being to the detrimenl
OF the public-as well as such super
vision and regulation as will prevent
other abuses in no way connected with
restriction OF competition.
In the above connection the Presi-
dent says:
All private car lines, industrial roads,
refrigerator charges, and the like should
b. expressly put under the supervision
OF the Interstate Commerce Commission
or sJme similar body so far as rates, and
agreements practically affecting rates,
are concerned. The private car owners
and the owners of industrial railroads
are entitled to a fair and reasonable COM
pensation on their investment, but
neither private cars nor industrial rail-
roads nor spur tracks should be utilized
a. devices for securing preferential rates.
A rebate in icing charges, or in mileage,
or IN division of the rate for refrigeT-
ating charges is Just as pernlcious as a
n bate in any other way. No lower rate
should apply on goods imported than
actually obtains on domestic goods from
tie American seabOard to destination ex-
cept in cases where water competition is
the controlling influence.
Mr.. Roosevelt makes certain recon-
nendations concerning safety appliances
for railroads, hours of labor for railroad
employees, employers liability bill,
lfbor, insurance, the revenues, economy
III expenditures, currency, business
methods in the departments, federal cleo
tons, the Hague conference, the Mon
roe doctrine, the army and navy, nalur-
a.ization laws, criminal laws, breachC s
Of trust in public service, public land
laws, Mississippi levees, merchant ma
riue, jamestown Tercentennial, PEN
sions, immigration, the civil service,
Copyright laws, adulteration of food,
snoke law, national parks, life-saving
service, Indians, the Philippines, Porto
Rico, insular affairs, Alaska, admission
to Statehood, Panama Canal and the De
norlmpnt of State