Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-11-02
|TOBE INTERESTING MESSAGE
coMETHlNG MORE ON THE REG.
uLATioN OF RATES.
Forthcoming Message Of President
Roosevelt win Deal with Many
Important Questions.


Washington, Oct. a5.As the date
fer the assembling Of the sixtleth
congress approaches interest III the
probable contents Of the Presidents
message becomes more ana more
keen. In fact. the topic just now Is
oyershadowing everything else po-
|ligical.
In general Il is understood that the
President viii have something further
to say upon the subject of railroad
regulation, but just what his recon.
mendations on this subject will be
even those who have talked with Mr.
Roosevelt recently are not at all Ger.
tain Some months ago 1t was believ-
ed that sweeping extension OF the
powers of the interstate commerce
commission would be advocated but
OF late there has been a growing feel
ing that the message would be likely
to confine itself to recommendations
for strengthening the existing laws.
There are those who would not be
surprised II The message recommended
the repeal of the Sherman law, or its
amendment, in such particulars as
would inaugurate an entirely new
plan Of controlling trust and cor.
porations
1t is accepted as foregone conclu-
sion in well informed circles here
also that section of the message will
be devoted to an explanation in de-
Tense of the plan for sending the bat.
tleship fleet to the Pacific. Another
subject which will undoubtedly occu.
Ply considerable amount of space in
the message is that of the desirability
Of adopting a definite and energetic
policy of waterway Improvement IN
GLIDING the preservation OF The forests
as the conservators of the water sup
ply. This is a subject for which the
President is full of enthusiasm.
While he has long been a firm be-
lever in the Improvement OF rivers
and harbors of the country by the ma.
ton, his recent journey down the Mis-
sissippi was a revelation to him. In
his talks with governors OF the vari-
Gus western states and other enthusi-
astic supporters Of broad and liberal
policy of waterway improvement
like Congressman Ransdell, OF Loulsi-
ana-he has learned that the average
cost of water transportation upon i'm.
proved waterways Is less than one
sixth Of rail transportation and he
has come to accept the belief that the
Improvement Of the waterways of the
country will prove the most effective
possible form of rate regulation and
prevent freight congestion on the
great railways of the country.
1t is well known that the President
does not do anything half-heartedly
Having interested himself in the sub
ject of improving the nations water
ways he undoubtedly will follow ii NJ
with great energy. Except for his an
nounced determination to make nc
more addresses to conventions in
Washington. it is believed that he
would make stirring speech at the
fourth annual convention Of the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbcrs congress
which is to assemble in this city De
cember 4, ), and 6. and 1t is said that
he is strongly tempted to make an ex
ception in this case It Is more likely
however. that he will designate one
Of his cabinet officers to represent
h m on the occasion.
The President comes from a state
which nearly for century has fol-
lowed the policy Of improving it's wat
erways In a sense he regards him.
SELF as the farther OF the Panama ca.
nal and he feels that the inaugura
4 ton Of the broad policy OF waterway
improvements may prove his most en-.
during claim to the consideration and
remembrance Of generations yet to
come