The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1908-04-02
RECOMMENDS NEW laws
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT IN BRIEF
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS URGES
NEEDED LEGISLATION.
FAVORs REVISION OF TARIFF
Passage Of Hepburn Bill, Amending
Sherman Antitrust Law, Provid-
ing for Registry Of Trust Agree.
ments Urged at This Session.


houses of Congress his special mes.
sage. announced several days ago,
calling attention to legislation which
he deems It important should be pass
ed at this session.
A special plea is made for the enact
ment Of a child labor law for the Dis
trict of Columbia; the immediate re-
enactment OF the employers liability
law; a law providing for the payment
of compensation for injury or death
received by employees Of the Govern
ment: amendment OF the law govern
ing the issue OF injunctions In labor
disputes; amendment of the interstate
commerce and antitrust laws so as to
permit the formation OF combinations
not in conflict with public policy;
early financial legislation along the
line proposed by the measure now be
fore Congress, and the establishment
of postal banks.
Text Of Presidents Message.
To the Senate and House Of Representa-
cali your attention to certain meas
ures as to which think there should De
action by the Congress before the close
Of the present session. There IL ample
Zine for their consideration AS regards
most II not all Of the matters. Dhls nave
been introduced into one or the otnei "
the two Houses, and II Is not too much 10
hone that action will be taken one way or
the other on these bills at the present
session. In my message AT the openhs Oi
the present session, and, indeed, IN va
rious messages to previous Congresses, 1
have repeatedly suggested actiOh on most
Of these measures.
Child labor should be prohibited
throughout the nation. At least model
child labor bill should be passed for the
District Of Columbia. II Is untortunste
that In the one place solely dependent
upon Congress for its legislation there
should be no law whatever TO protect
children by forbidding or regulating their
labor
renew my recommendation for the i'm
mediate re-enactment OF an employers
liability law drawn to conform TO the re
cent decision OF the Supreme Court.
Within the limits Indicated by the court.
the law should be made thorough and
comprehensive, and the protection " af
fords should embrace every class OF en-
ploye to which the power OF the Congress
can extend.
In addition to a liability law protect
ing the employees OF common carriers, the
Government should show its good faith by
enacting a further law giving compensa
tion to it's owr employees for injury or
death incurred in its service. IL Is re-
proach to us as a nation that in both Fed
eral and state legislation We have anord-
ed less protection to public and private
employees than any other industrial coun-
try of the world
Curb orr InJunetions.
1 also urge that action be taken along
the line OF the recommendations l have
already made concerning injunctions In
labor disputes. No temporary restrain
ing order should be issued by any court
without notice: and the petition for a
permanent injunction upon which such
temporary restraining order has been is
sued should be heard by the Court issu-
ing the same within a reasonable time
say. not to exceed a week or whereabouts
from the date when the order was issued
1t Is worth considering whether II would
not give greater popular confidence In tho
impartiailty Of sentences for contempt II
1t was required that the issue should he
decided by another judge than the ore
issuing the Injunction. except where the
contempt is committed In the presence OF
the Court. or I'm another case OF urgency.
1 again call attention to the urgent
need OF amending the interstate COM
merce law and especially the antitrust
law along the lines Indicated In my last
message. The interstate commerce law
should be amended so as to give railroads
the right to make traffic agreements, sub
ject to these agreements being approved
by the Interstate Commerce Commission
Commission should also be given the pow
er to make public and to pass upon the
issuance OF all securities hereafter issued
by railroads doing an interstate com
merce business.
A law should be passed providing In
effect that when a Federal court deter
mines to place a common carrier or other
public utility concern under the control
OF receivership. the Attorney General
should have the right to nominate at least
m at h
er way the interests OF the stockholders
should be consulted so that the manage
ment may not be wholly redelivered to the
man or men the failure OF whose policy
may have necessftated The creation of the
receivership. Receiverships should be
| used. not TO operate roads. but as speed
lily as possible to pay their debts and re-
turn them TO the proper owners.
Some Lawful Combines.
In addition to the reasons / have al
ready urged on your attention, Il has now
| become important that there should be
an amendment Of the antitrust law. be-
cause of the uncertainty as TO how this
law affects combina tons among labor
men and farmers II the combination has
any tendency to restrict interstate com
merce. All OF these combina tiOns, II and
while existing for and engaged in the
promotion OF innocent and proper pur-
poses, should be recognized as legal AS
! have repeatedly pointed out, this anti
trust law was a most unwisey drawn
/ statute IL wis perhaps inevitable that
| In feeling after the right remedy the first
| attempts TO provide such should be crude
and Il was absolutely imperative that
| some legislation should be passed 10 con-
/ troll. I'm the interest OF the public. the bus
| mess use Of the enormous ageregatiOns OF
| corporate wealth that are so marked a
/ feature OF the modern Industrial world
/ But the present antitrust law In ia con-
structiOn and working. has exsmplified
/ only too we'll the kind of legislation which.
| under the guise of being thorough going.
| Is drawn up In such sweeping form as 10
become either Ineffective or else mis-
| chieyOus.
In the modern Industrial world combi-
nations are absolutely necessary; they are
| necessary among business men, they are
necessary among labOring men, they are
| becoming more and more necessary
among farmers Some OF these cOmbina-
tiOns are among the most powerful of ali
Instruments for wrOngdOing. Others Offer
the only effective way Of meeting actual
business needs. II Is nischieyous and an
wholesome TO keep upon the statute books
unmodlhed a law Like the antitrust law
| which. while In practice only partially
| effective against vicious Combinations
has nevertheless Ia theory been construed
80 as sweepingly TO prohibit every COM
blnauOu for the transaction OF modern
business. Some real good has resulted
from this law. But the time has COME
when 4 Is imperative to modify II. Such