The Ketchikan miner., 1908-12-12

The Presidents Message was req to both houses of Congress today. II is lengthy document, and will he esteemed by Alaskans when laid be- fore them in print, especially notice able because of the distinct absence oi any reference to Alaskan matters.
 though reference is made at length to the conditions and affairs of all the other non-contiguous territories ano dependencies.
 The Message bri.tles with well tim ed suggestions and recommendations as to needed legislation, making special requests with reasons for en- actments. laws providing for safer and more adequate currency, providing for postal savings banks, parcel post, better protection for labor en- ployed in the government service, a treas fully on the subject of injunctions and takes clatter at corporations, and on the subject of labor generally. says ::
 There are many matters affecting Ia bor and the US of the wagework- CT to which 1 should like to draw your attention, but an exhaustive dis cussion of the problem in all its aspects is not now necessary. This and, moreover, under our from of government the solution of the prob- lem depends upon the action of the States as much as upon the action of the Nation. Nevertheless. there are certain considerations which l wish
 to set before you, because 1 hope that our people will more and more keep them in mind. \ blind and ignorant resistance 10 every effort for the re- | form of abuses and for the readjust- ment of society to modern industrial conditions represents not true conserv- atism but an indictment to the " ildest | radicalism: for wise radicallsm and
 wise conservatism go hand in hand, l one bent on progress, the other bent i on seeing that DO change is made un- ! less in the right direction. 1 believe l in a steady effort, or perhaps 1t would be more accurate to say in steady efforts in many different directions.
 70 bring about condition of affairs
 under which the men who work with
 hand or with brain. the laborers, the superintendents, the men who pro- l duce for the market and the men who find market for the articles produc- ed. shall own far greater share than al present O. the wealth they produce. and be enabled to invest it in the
 tools and instruments by which all
 work is carried on. As far as pos- sible 1 hope to see a frank recogni-
 tion of the advantages conferred by
 machinery, organization. and division of labor. accompanied by an effort to bring about a larger share in the ownership by wageworker of Eailway.
 mill, and factory. h farming. this simply means that we wish to see the ! farmer own his own land: we do not
 wish 10 see the farms so large that
 they become the property of absentee landlords who farm them by tenants.
 nor yet so small that the farmer be- comes like a European peasant.
 Again. the depostors in our savings 1 banks now number over one-tenth of our entire population. These are all capitalists. who through the savings banks loan their money to the work ers-that is, in many cases to them- serles-to carry on their various in- dustries. The more We increase their nun Der, the mors we introduce tn c princi pies of cooperation into our in- d1stry. Every increase in the number
 of small stockholders in corporations is good thing, for the same reasons :: and where the employees are the stockholders the result is particularly good. Very much of this movement must be outside of anything that can be accomplished by legislation: bu. legislation can do good deal. Postal savings banks will make it easy for the poorest to keep their savings in absolute safety. The regulation Of the national highways must be such that they shall serve all people with equal justice. Corporate finances must be supervised SD as to make it
 far safer than at present for the man of small means to invest his money in stocks. There must be prohi bition of child labor, diminurion of woman lab or, shortening of hours of all mechan-
 ical labor: stock watering should be prohibited. and stock gambling so far as is possible discouraged. There should be a progressive inheritance tax on large fortunes. Industrial education should be encouraged. As far as possible we should tighten the burden of taxation on the small man.
 We should put a premium upon thrift.
 hard word, and business enelgy: but these qualities cease to be the main factors in accumulatiDg fortune long before the fortune reaches a point
 where it would be seriously affected