The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-06-20

Asserting that the trusts are laying
waste all the natural resources of the
country, President Roosevelt, in two
extraordinary speeches at the James
town Exposition, declared for federal
ownership of all the coal, oil and ranch
lands which remain in possession OF
the government.
Convinced, he said, that enormous
private fortunes are unjustly Overrld-
ing the great mass of the public, he
called upon Congress to impose radical
income Gnd Inheritance tax laws. In
addition he advocated federal child la
Dor laws and a national statute max
ing employers responsible to their en-
ployes for all accidents, no matter
whose the fault
Finally, in what most of his hearers
construed to be the intimation of his
belief that war with Japan is not re-
mote, the President urged that no pains
be spared 10 raise the efficiency of the
navy.
The President began with some typi-
cally Rooseveltian advice TO the editors,
warning them that they must take care
to not attack the rich merely because
they are rich, nor the poor because they
are striving for their own interests.
Then he said:
The mineral fuels of the Eastern
United States have already passed into
the hands of large private owners. and
those of the West are rapidly follow
ing. This should not be, for such min
eral resources belong in peculiar de-
gree to the whole people. Under pri-
vate control there is much waste from
shortsighted methods of working, and
the complete utilization Is often sacri-
feed for a greater immediate profit
''The mineral fuels under our pres
ent conditions are as essential 10 our
prosperity as the forests will always
be- The difference is that the supply
| is definitely limited, for coal does not
grow and trees do. 1t is obvious That
| the mineral fuels should be governed
not wasted, and that enough OF them
should remain In the hands of the gov
eminent to protect the people against
unjust or extortionate prices so far as
that can still be done.
Mr.. Roosevelt discussed the inability
of the railroads to care for the trans
portation of freight throughout the
country. He advocated the complete
! development of all the inland water
ways for transportation purposes In
competition with the railroads.
Would Tax Incomes.
| Mr.. Roosevelt then spoke of tax on
incomes. He said, in part:
I. "In my judgment, however, the in
heritance tax is both far better meth
cd OF taxation and far more important
| for the purpose l have in view-the
! purpose OF having the swollen fortunes
of the country bear in proportion to
| their size constantly increasing bur
den of taxation.
These forrunes exist solely because
OF the protection given the owners by
| the public. They are a constant source
of care and anxiety to the public and
| 1t Is eminently just that they should be
| forced TO pay heavily for the protection
given them.
Il believe that the tax should con
| tain the progressive principle. What
ever any individual receives, whether
by gift. bequest, or devise, in life OF
in death, should, after a certain amount
is reached, be increasingly burdened.
The rate of taxation should be in
creased in proportion to the remotenass
of blood of the man receiving from the
man giving or devising.'
| In his morning speech, after making
| a plea for more and better schools, for
a more rational and less literary sys
| tenn of educating the masses with agrl-
cultural and industrial colleges to take
up the task of enlightening the work
ers in the field Of higher labor, the
speaker approached the subject of child
and woman labor in, the factories.
1.-The factory is very poor place in
deed for child: indeed, personally |
think the factory a poor place for a
woman-certainly for married WON
an, or for an unmarried woman for
more than very few years.
1.-The nations most valuable asset Is
the children; for the children are the
nation of the future.
"AIl people alive to the nations need
should join together TO work for the
moral, spiritual and physical welfare
of the children in all parts of our
land.
1--WE need laws for the control of
vast corporations such as were moi
needed when the. individual fortunes
were far smaller than at present, and
when these fortunes were not combined
| for business use.
Pay for Injured Workers.
Congress should adopt legislation
providing limited but definite compen-
sation for accidents to all workmen
within the scope of the federal power
including employees in navy yards and
arsenals. Similar legislation should
follow throughout the states. The old
and inadequate remedy OF suit for neg.
ligence would then gradually disap-
pear.
las a corollary let me point out the
extreme unwisdom OF the railway com
panies in fighting the constitutionality
of the national employers liability law.
No law is more emphatically needed,
and it must be kept on the statute
books In drastic and thoroughgoing
form