Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-12-18
LISTEN TO MESSAGE
COMMUNICATION FROM PRESi.
DENT READ TO CONGRESS.
NEEDS aoF THE NATION
New Laws and Changes In Existing
Statutes Are Among Recon-
mendatlons Made by the
Chief Executive.

Washington, Dec. g. President
i Roosevelt's message TO congress-,
which was read in both houses to-day,
contained many important recon-
mendatons as to legislation which he
considers urgent.
The financial standing Of thu coup-
try, the president points out, 10 at
present excellent, but there IL great
need that the currency commission
proceed at once to remedy existing de-
fects.
The president repeats with empha-
sis his views, hitherto expressed, that
Tor the good Of the country the con.
troll OF great corporations, and espe-
eially the railroads, must be placed In
1.-The hands of the national government.
The Sherman antitrust law he con-
dennis as positively harmful In It's
workings, urging as substitute law
which shall expressly permit combina-
lions which are in the interest Of the
public, but shall at the same time give
TO some agency Ia the national govern
fnent full power of control and super
vision over them.
In the interests OF the wagowerkers
Of the country the president urges the
prohibition of child labor, diminution
OF women labor, and shortening Of
hours Of all mechanical labor There
should be, he says, progressive In
heritance tax On large fortunes.
The matter Of taking care Of the
wageworkers, who, under our present
Industrial system, become killed, Grip
pied, or worn out as part OF the rsgu-
lar incidents of given business, is
gone into at length, and q system Of
Industrial old-ags pensions Endorsed.
The president recommends that, be-
ginning with the supreme court, the
salaries of judges be doubled.
Demands for legislation made by
certain labor leaders on the last con-
gress come in for sharp criticism, be-
ing described as unjust and impracti-
cal, and opposed to the real interests
of the workers.
The much-discussed power Of injunc-
ton the president considers a great
equitable remedy, which must on no
account he destroyed, though he con-
Siderssthat safeguards should be erect
ed against its abuse. Immediate hear
ings of cases, following the issuance
of an injunction he thinks, would do
much toward disarminx criticism Of
the courts
Discussing measures necessary for
the proper control of giant corpora
tons operating in defiance OF law, the
president says:
Real damage has been done by the
manifold and conflicting iaterpreta-
lions of the interstate commerce law
Control over the great corporations do
ing interstate business can be etfee-
tive only If it is vested with full power
in an administrative department, q
branch Of the federal executive, carry
ing out a federal law; it can
never be effective If divided respen
sibility is left in both the states and
the nation; it can never be effective
II left in the hands of the courts to be
decided by lawsuits"
Immediate action toward the pressr-
walton of the existing forests 10 put
forward ASA national duty
In the opinion of the president, ae-
don by the present session Of con-
gress for the Improvement Of our in
land waterways is imperative He
recommends the creation Of perma-
nent commission authorized to 60
ordinate the work of all the govern
ment departments relating to water.
ways, and to frame and supervise the
execution of comprehensive plan.
The immediate institution of postal
savings banks, recommended In prsvi-
Gus messages, is again urged, together
with the establishment of parcel
post service forfthe mutual benefit of
the farmer and the country store
keeper
Larger grants to the bureau of edu-
cation is one of the Recommendations
contained in the message.
OF our foreign policy the message
says: This nations foreign policy is
based on the theory that right must
be done between nations, precisely rs
between individuals. and in oNr ae-.
lions for the last ten years we have
la this matter proven our faith by cur
deeds. We have behaved, and are be-
having, towards other nations, as In
private life an honorable man would
behave towards his fellows
High praise is accorded all those
responsible for the expeditions werk
being done on the Panama canal. and
the extension of the ocean mail act
of 1881 urged, to the end that Amer
lean ocean mail lines 10 the east may
be established
Real progress, the president do
elares, is being made In the Philip
Dimes, and the outlook Is declared
bright
Steps to maintain and increase the
present efficiency sof the National
Guard Is another recommendation Of
the message The services Of we'll
trained army officers with the militia
are shown to have had excellent re-
suits.
The system of promotion by merit
In the army, displaeing the hitherto
prevailing system of seniority, Ia de-
Tended as vital to the good Of the
service.
The message concludes with the
recommendation Of large increase In
the navy 1t is desirable, the presi-.
dent says, to complete as soon 90 pcs
sible squadron of eight battaeshtps
of best existing type.
FERNS A GOOD PREsERvATlvE.