The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1906-12-05
FHE PRESIDENTS
MESSAGE
advanced Ideas on Government
Policies

the enactment of its provisions into
law. A bill has already been intro
duced to this end"
WITHDRAWAL OF COAL LANDS.
The message advises legislation
which W uld provide for the with
drawal Of coal lands from sale or from |
entry, save in certain especial cir
cumstances. The ownership would
then remain in the United Safes which |
would MT, however, attempt to work |
them, but would permit them to be
worked by private parties under a
royalty system, the government keep
ing such control as to see that no ex
cessive price was charged consumers.
"The withdrawal of these lands"
says the message, ''would constitute
policy analogous to that which has
been followed in withdrawing the for
est lands from ordinary settlement.
The coal, like the forests, should be
treated as the property of the public,
and its disposal should be under con-
ditions which would inure to the
benefit of the public as a whole"
CORPORATIONS AND TRUSTS.
The message says:
1.-THE present conrgess has taken
long strides in the direction of secur-
ing proper supervision and control by
the feCeral government over corpora
tions engaged in interstate business.
The passage of the railway rate bill,
and only to less degree the passage
of the pure food bill, and the provis-
ion for increasing and rendering more
effective national control over the beef
packing industry, mark an important
advance in the proper direction.
COMBINATIONS NECESSARY.
'The actual working of our laws
has shown that the effort to prohibit
all combinations, good or bad, is
| noxious where it is not effective.
, Combination of capital, like combin-
tion OF labor, is a necessary element
t of our present industrial system. 1t
3 is not possible completely to prevent
: it, and if it were possible, such COM
t pletc prevention would do harm to
the body polite. What we need is
not vainly to try to prevent all COM
, bination, but to secure such vigorous
!, and adequate control and supervision
. of the combinations as TO prevent
! their injuring the public, or existing
in such form as to inevitably threaten
= injury. 1t is unfortunate that our
. present laws should forbid all combin-
!, ations, instead Of sharply discrimin-
ating between those combinations
which do good and those which dc
f evil.
: MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.
: The president says that in his judg.
It ment the whole question Of marriage
e and divorce should be relegated to tbs
d authority of the national congress. .
= stAt present, :" says he, the wid'
Ie difference in the laws of the different
II states on this subject result in scan
IT daIs and abuse and surely there il
,, nothing so vitality essential to tn
welfare of the nation, nothing arount
% which the nation should SO bend it
rs self to throw every safeguard, as tht
d home life of the average citizen. II
II particular it would be good because
would confer on congress the poWe
he to deal radically and efficiently wit
le poIyOamy; and this should be don
of whether or not marriage and diyorc
he are dealt with. 1t is neither safe no
d proper to leave the question OF poly
N gamy to be dealt with by the severa
II states"
y SHIPPING AND THE CURRENCY
These two subjects are dealt wit
at length, but along the same line q
in the presidents message Of a yea
ago.
&c ISLANDS AND TERRITORIES.
, In dealing with this sbujcet, tn
- president urges a lower tarih or ahsc
- lutte free trade On Philippine Pre-
~ ducts; citizenship for the people
- Porto Rico; the dredging and In
provement Of San Juan harbor; n
!. payment by the federal treasury Of a
n expenses Of the federal court OF Port
Rico. He also declares that the %
a mipistration of the affairs OF Por'
!. Rico, together with those OF q
"a PHILIPPINES, Hawaii, and other ms
lar possessions, should all be directs
! under one executive department,
: preference the department Of state