The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-12-25

become appalllnS. congress Is uFSeI
to provide definite compensation for
accidents to all workmen within the
scope of the Federal power. Work
men should receive certain and
definite compensation for all acci-
dents in industry irrespective of neg
ligence. The employer is the agent
of the public and on his own respon-
sibility and for his own profit he
serves the public. When he starts in
motion agencies which create risks
for others, he should take all the Or
binary and extraordinary risks in
yolyed and the risk he thus at the
moment assumes will ultimately be
assumed, as it ought to be, by the
general public. Only in this way can
the shock of the accident be diffused,
instead of falling upon the man or
woman least able to bear it, as is now
the case. The community at large
should share the burdens as we'll as
the benefits of industry. The Presi-
dent believes that "the general intro
duction of the eight-hour day should
be the goal toward which we should
steadily tend, and the Government
should set the example in this re-
spect."
The previous recommendation OF
the President for the compulsory in
vestigation. Of industrial disputes is
renewed. The President urges the
enactment of laws relating to the en-
ployment of women and children. 1t
| is idle to hold that without good
laws evils such as child labor, as the
over-working Of women, as the fail
ure to protect employees from loss of
| life or limb. can be effectively reached,
any more than the evils of rebates
and stock-watering can be reached
without good laws.
The Message devotes much space
to the farming industry and boasts
of the usefulness of the Department
| of Agriculture. No growth of cities,
no growth of wealth, says Mr.. Roose-
velt, can make up for any loss IN
either the number or the character
of the farming population. After
urging that the farmers cooperate
with one another and with the Gov
ernment he suggests to Congress the
advisability of a national system or
inspection and grading of~grain en-
! tering into Interstate and foreign
commerce as remedy for the pres
ent evils.
Next the Message discusses the
conservation of our natural resources
and their proper use. Our great
river systems should be developed as
National water highways; the Mis-
sissippi, with it's tributaries, stand
| ing first in importance, and the Col
/ 1t Ar1N n1fhn11oh fharn
many others of Importance on the
Pacific, the Atlantic and the Gulf
slopes.
From the great lakes to the mouth
of the Mississippi there should be a
deep waterway, with deep waterways
leading from it to the East and the
West. Such a waterway would prac-
tically mean the extension of our
coast line into the very heart Of our
country 1t would be Of incalculable
benefit to our people.
AS an incident to creating the
deep waterway down the Mississippi,
the Government should build along
it's whole lower length levees which
taken together with the control OF
the head waters, will at once and for
ever put complete stop to all threat
of floods in the immensely fertile
delta region. Irrigation should be
far more extensively developed than
at present. 1t should go hand in
hand with the reclamation of swamp
land.
Congress is urged to act upon the
recommendation Of the Public
Lands Commission designed to pre-
vent the passage of great areas of
public lands into the hands of few
men. The Government should part
with it's title only to the actual
home-maker, not to the proft-maker
who does not care to make home.
The preservation of our forests is ad-
vocated at great length, and the
country is congratulated on the fact
that so great progress has been made.
We should acquire in the Appala-
chan and White Mountain regions
all the forest lands that 1t is possible
to acquire for the use of the Nation.
In my judgment, says the Pres
ident, the Government should have
the right to keep the fee OF the coal,
oil and gas fields in its own posses
sion and to lease the rights to de-
velop them under proper regulations;
or else, if the Congress will not adopt
this method, the coal deposits should
be sold under limitations, to conserve
them as public utilities, the right to
mine coal being separated from the
title to the soil. The regulations
should permit coal lands to be
worked in sufficient quantity by the
several corporations.
The Message continues with a
statement that work on the Panama
Canal is proceeding in a highly sat
isfactory manner, with recommen-
dation of a postal savings bank sys-
ten1 and an extension of the parcel
post, especially on the rural routes,
in the interest Of the farmer and the
country storekeeper, the small town
and the country district 1t Is de-
sirable that the country merchant
should not be crushed out, adds the
President.
The duty of the National Govern
ment to guard the personal and
property rights of the Indians with
in the borders Of Oklahoma remains
of course unchanged.
I reiterate my recommendation OF
last year as regards Alaska. Some
form of local self-government should
be provided.
The President recommends the
fortifying of Hawaii and the deepen
ing of Pearl Harbor; he asks that the
rights of citizenship be conferred
upon the people CT Porto Rico; ne
strongly urges that Congress provide
funds for keeping up The Hermitage,
the home of Andrew Jackson; he
recommends that a naval monument
be established in the Vicksburg Ma
tional Park, that legislation shouio
he enacted at the present session Oh