The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-06-15
PRESIDENT TOUCHES SUBJECT In
VIRGINIA SPEECH.
Remaining Coal, Oil and Ranch
Lands He Says Should be Re-
tanned by the Government.
Trusts Lay Waste Our Re-
sources.
sources.

Sp00Cu0S dC Guo Jdm0SCOWn 0XpnSlClOus
declared for federal ownership of all
the coal, oil and ranch lands which
remain in the possession of the gov
eminent.
Convinced, he said, that enormous
private fortunes are unjustly overrid-
ing the great mass of the public, he
called upon congress to impose radical
income and inheritance tax laws. In
addition, he advocated federal child
labor laws and a law making employers
responsible to their employees for all
accidents, no matter whose fault.
The National Editorial Association,
which listened to the presidents de-
nunciation of private ownership of
coal mines, was plainly astounded at
speeches verging SO closely upon the
socialistic principles he has frequently
said he opposed.
The president began with advice to
the editors, warning them that they
must take care not to attack the rich
merely because they are rich. nor the
poor because they are striving foi
their own.
The occasion of President Roose-
velt's appearance here was the open
ing of Bulloch Hall, the ancestral
home Of his mother at Roswell. Ga.
and reproduced here as the Georgia
state building.
President Mitchell of the Georgia
commission, presented President Roos-
eVelt. who said. in part:
Corporations Need Control
cit is a good thing to try to reform
thing to try to keep healthy in soul,
body and mind those children who, are
now sound but who may easily grow
up unsound ifsno care is taken of them.
The nation's most valuable asset is
the children. We need laws for the
care of our children which were not
needed when this country was in it's
infancy. We need laws for the con-
troll of vast corporations such as were
not needed when individual fortunes
we're far smaller than at present, and
when these fortunes were not COM
bined for business use.
Gin the same way we need to change
our attitude toward labor problemss
from what that attitude was in the
days when the bulk of our people lived
in the country with no morve complex
labor relations that is implied in the
connection between the farmer and
the hired help.
'.For example, the great increase in
mechanical and manufacturing opera
tions means corresponding increase
in the number of accidents to wage
workers employed therein, these in
Guiding 10th preventable and lnevita-
BILE accidents. As the work is done
for the employer and therefore ulti-
mately for the public, it is bitter in
justice to the wage worker himself
and his wife and children who bear
the whole penalty.
Employees Should Be Protected
Legislation should be had alike
from the nation and the states not
only to guard against the needless
multiplication of these accidents, but
to relieve the financial suffering due
to them.
''Let me point out the extreme I'M
wisdom of the railway companies in
fighting the constitutionality Of the
national employers liability act. No
law is more emphatically needed, but
it must be kept on the statute books
in drastic and thoroughgoing form.
The railroads are prompt to demand
the interference and to claim the pro-
lection of the federal courts in times
of riots and disorders, and in turn
the federal government should see to
it that they are not permitted to sue
cessfully plead that they are under the
federal law when thereby their own
rights can be protected, but outside
of it when it is invoked against them
in behalf of the rights of others. If it
is proper for the federal courts to issue
iniunctions in behalf of railroads, it
ia proper that railroads should be held
to q strict liability for accidents oc
curing to their employees.
In speaking to the National Edito-
rial Association, the president said:
ga graduated income tax Of the
proper type would be desirable per-
manent feature of federal taxation,
and still hope that one may be de-
vised which the supreme court will
declare constitutional.
Gin my judgment, however. the in
heritance tax is both a far better
method Of taxation and far more i'm
portant for the purpose have in view
the purpose Of having the swollen
fortunes Of the country bear, in pro-
portion to their size, constantly in
creasing burden of taxation. These
fortunes are q constant source Of care
and anxiety to the public and it is em-
inently just that they should be forced
to pay heavily for the protection Civ
en- them.
Washington, June l2.-United
States Senator John T. Morgan, Of
Alabama, died here at 1915 last night.
Mr.. Morgan had been in bad health
for q number Of yesrs. but had more
~. loas ragnIarlv attended the sessions