Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1908-01-31

ON LABOR
President Roosevelt Urges Mort
Legislation for Relief of
The Working Man.
AFTER CORPORATIONS
Defends His Policies And Says
Certain Rich Men Are Trying
to Hide illegal AcIs.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31:-The
general opinion in Washington is
that the special message sent to con-
gress today by President Roosevelt is
the most important state paper ever
prepared by him. That its effect will
be far-reaching Is conceded on all
sides. 1t is regarded as more than a
mere defense of the so-called Roose-
velt politics. Its indication is that
IL his successor be a man of his
choice those policies will be con-
tinred.
The reading of the message was
followed with unusual interest IN
both the house and senate. 1t is In
part as follows:
The recent decision of the supreme
court IN regard to the employers
liability act, the experience of the
Interstate Commerce Commission and
of the Department Of Justice in en-
forcing the interstate commerce and
antitrust laws, and the gravely sig
nificant attitude toward the law and
its administration recently adopted
by certain heads of great corpora
tions, render 1t desirable that there
should be additional legislation as
regards certain Of the relations be-
tween labor and capital, and between
the great corporations and the pub
lic
AS regards the employers liability
law, l advocate its immediate reen-
actment, limiting its scope so that is
shall apply only to the class of cases
as to which the court says it can con-
stitutionally apply, but strengthens
ing It's provisions within this scope.
Interstate employment being thus
covered by an adequate national law,
the field of intrastate employment
will be left to the action of the sew
eral states. With this clear defini-
tion Of responsibility the states will
undoubtedly give to the performance
OF their duty within their field the
consideration the Importance of the
subject demands.
| also very urgently advise that a
comprehensive act be passed provid-
ing for compensation by the govern
ment to all employees injured in the
government service. Under the pres
ent law an injured workman in the
employment of the government has
no remedy, and the entire burden Of
of the accident falls on the helpless
man, his wife, and his young chill
dren. This is an outrage. It is a
matter of humiliation to the nation
that there should not be on our
statute books provision to meet and
partially to atone for cruel misfor-
tune when 1t comes upon a man
through no fault of ais own while
faithfully serving the public. Our
proposition Is not to confer a right of
action upon the government employe.
but to secure him suitable provision
against injuries received in the
course of his employment. The bur-
den Of the trade risk should be
placed upon the government.
There is special bill to which I
call your attention. Secretary Taft
has urgently recommended the i'm
mediate passage of a law providing
for compensation to employees of the
government injured in the work of
the Isthmian canal, and that $780,
600 be appropriated for this purpose
each year. I earnestly hope this will
be done; and that a special bill be
passed covering the case of Yardmas-
ter Banton, who was injured nearly
two years ago while doing his duty.
He is now helpless to support hia
wife and his three little boys
Iniunctions in Labor Gases.
/ again call your attention to the
need of some action in connection
with the abuse of injunctions in labor
cases. AS regards the rights and
wrongs of labor and capital, from
to boycotting, the whole
subject is covered in admirable fash
ion by the report of the Anthracite
Coal Strike Commission, which re-
port should serve as a chart for the
guidance of both legislative and ex-
ecutive officers. As regards iniunc-
tions, l can do little but repeat what
l have said in my last message to
the congress. Even though it were
possible, I should consider it most
unwise to abolish the use of the pro-
cess of injunction. 1t is necessary in
order that the courts may maintain
their own dignity and in order that
they may in effective manner check
disorder and violence. But there is
no question in my mind that 1t has
sometimes been used heedlessly and
unjustly. and that some of the In
functions issued infiiet grave and oc-
casionally irreparable wrong upon
those enjoined.
1t is all wrong to use the injunc-
tion to prevent the entirely proper
and legitimate actions of labor or
ganizations in their struggle for in
dustrial betterment, or under the
guise of protecting property rights
to Invade the funda-
mental rights of the individual. 1t is
futile to concede. as We all do, the
right and the necessity of organized
effort on the part of wage-earners
and yet by injunctive process to for
bid peaceable action to accomplish