The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-04-03
recommends
SPECIAL LAWS
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT IN BRIEF
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS URGES
NEEDED LEGISLATION.
FAv0RS REVISION OF TARIFF
Passage Of Hepburn Bill, Amending
Sherman Antitrust Law, Provid-
Ing for Registry Of Trust Agree
ments Urged at This Session.

Washington, D. G. - President
Roosevelt Wednesday sent to both
houses Of Congress his special mes
sage. announced several days ago,
calling attention to legislation which
he deems 1t 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 ana house Vi 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 Is ample
time for their consideration As regards
most II not all of the matters, bills have
been introduced into one or the other OF
the two Houses. and ,I1i, It Is not TOO o0a m wsn 90 TO
the other on these bills at the present
session. In my message at the opening OF
the present session, ana, lndeeu, IN va.
rious messages to previous Congresses, l
have repeatedly suggested action on most
Of these measures. ,,
Child labor should be prohibited
throughout the nation. At least a model
child bill should be passed for the
District of Columbia. 1t Is unfortunate
that in the one place solely dependent
upon Congress for Its Its iegasiat tn nr there
children by forbidding or regulating their
labor.
i 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 ana
comprehensive, and the protection 1t ar
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-
ton to It's w employees for injury or
proach to us as a nation that In both Fed
eral and State legislation we have afford
ed less protection to public and private
employees than any other industrial coun-
try Of the world.
Curb on inJunctIons.
I also urge that action be taken along
the line Of the recommendations I 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 1t would
impartiality of sentences for contempt II
1t was required that the issue should be
decided by another judge than the one
issuing the injunction. except where the
contempt is committed in the presence OF
the Court, or in another case Of urgency,
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 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
and published in al! of their details. The
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 ir
effect that when a Federal court deter
mines to place a common carrier or othei
public utility concern under the contro
Of a receivership, the Attorney Genera
should nave the right to nominate at leas'
er way the interests of the stakeholder.
should be consulted. so that the manage
ment may not be wholly redelivered to thu
man or men the failure of whose polio,
may have necessitated the creation Of ths
receivership. Receiverships should b.
used. not to operate roads, but as speed
a 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, it has nov
become Important that there should b,
an amendment of the antitrust law, be
cause OF the uncertainty as to how, THU
men and farmers, II the combination haI
any tendency to restrict interstate com
merce. All of these combinations, II an'
while existing for and engaged in tn,
promotion of innocent and proper pur
ri poses, should be recognized as legal. A
l nave repeatedly pointed out. this anti
trust law was a most unwisely draw
In feeling after the right remedy the frs
III attempts to provide such should be crude
and It was absolutely imperative tha
II some legislation should be passed to con
troll, in the interest of the public, the bus
mess use of the enormous ~aggregations o
corporate wealth that are so marked
~ feature OF the modern Industrial world
~ But the present antitrust law. In It's con
a struction and working. has exemplihe,
only too we'll the kind Of legislation which
lsunder the guise of being -goine
VA{a 1ra xrp nm In atlnh auAanfnw fArrH NJ q
VI
,Fe Burns "a Death In Hospital.