Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-12-07
DECLARES THE PRESIDENT IN
HIS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
INSURANCE SUPERVISION
Il Should Be Done by the Federal
overnment-5etter Care of Wo-
men to Guard Against Race Suicide
Contribution to Political Parties
by Corporations Decried.

Washington, Dec. SIN his mes
sage to congress President Roosevelt
traversed the whole gamut of national
affairs. He urged the admission OF
every foreigner, be he Jap, Chinaman,
dago or what not entirely on his own
merits; pleaded for better laws regu-
lating the employment of women that
race suicide might not continues
damned the smoke nuisance at Wash
ington and suggested prison sentences
for violators of the antismoke law;
declared that the power of courts to
issue inWnctions must not be weak
ened; believed that the notorious eX-
travagance in the government print
ing at Washington should be reduced;
favored the close regulation of rail
ways and insurance companies; asked
for federal pure food act; expressed
satisfaction with the rise OF the navy,
spoke for loyal support for the panama
canal and discussed a score of other
subjects.
The fortunes amassed through cor
porate organization are now so large,
and vest such power in those that
WELD them, he said in opening, as to
make 1t a matter of necessity to give
to the government some effective
power of supervision over their cor
porate use In order to insure a
healthy social and industrial life.
every big corporation should be held
responsible by, and be accountable
to, some sovereign strong enough to
control its conduct Experience has
shown that it is useless to try to get
any adequate regulation and super
vision Of these great corporations by
state action. Such regulation and SUI
pervision can only be effectively eXer-
cised by a sovereign whose jurisdic-
ton is coextensive with the field of
work of the corporations-that Is, by
the national government The pres-
dent believes that this regulation and
supervision can be obtained by the
enactment Of law by congress. If this
proves impossible it will certainly be
necessary ultimately to confer in full
est form such power upon the national
government by proper amendment
Of the constitution.
Rail Rates.
The immediate and most pressing
need is the enactment into law of
some scheme to secure to the agents
of the government such supervision
and regulation of the rates charged
by the railroads of the country en-
gagged in interstate traffic as shall
summarily and effectively prevent
the imposition of unjust or unreason-
able rates. 1t must include putting
complete stop to rebates in every
shape and form. The first considera-
ton to be kept in mind is that the
power should be affirmative and should
be given to some administrative body
created by the congress. If given to
the present interstate commerce COM
mission or to a recognized interstate
commerce commission, such commits
sion should be made unequiYocally adj
ministrative In the presidents judg-
ment the most important provision
which such law should contain is that
comforting upon some competent ad-
ministrative body the power to decide,
upon the case being brought before 1t,
whether a given rate prescribed by a
railroad Is reasonable and just, and II
1t is found to be unreasonable and
unjust. then, after full investigation
to prescribe the limit of rate beyond
IaG H., ~
the maximum reasonable rate--this
decision to 90 into effect within a
reasonable Tune and to obtain from
thence onward, subject to review by
the courts. II sometimes happens at
present, not that a rate Is too high
but that a favored shipper IS given too
low Q rate. In such case the commits
sion would have the right TO fix this
already established minimum rate as
the maximum; and it would need only
one or two such decisions by the com
mission to cure railroad companies Of
the practice Of giving improper mini |
mum rates. The president called at
tention to the fact that his proposal
Is not to give the commission power
to initiate or originate rates general |
". but to regulate rate already fixed |
or originated by the roads, upon com
plant and after investigation. A
heavy penalty should be exacted from
any corporation which fails to respect |
an order Of the commission. The pres
ident regards this power to establish
a maximum rate as being essential
to any scheme Of real reform In the
matter Of railway regulation. The frs,
necessity is to secure It; and unless
It is granted to the commission there |
is little use in touching the subject al
all
Illegal transactions often occur I'm.
der the forms Of law It has often /!
occurred that a shipper has been told |
by traffic officer to buy large guam
tity Of some commodity and then after |
1t has been bought an nnen reduction