The Washington times., 1908-03-25
links Combinations
Should be Allowed if
Contracts Are Made
Public.
Wants Arbitration and.
Cancellation to Replace
Strikes in Industrial
Field.

The President IN his long expect.
ed message, which was read to Con-
gress today, said:
To the Senate and House OF ReD-esan-
tatives:
/ cali your attention TO certain 7leas-
ures as to which I think there should
Dc action by the Congress before the
/ close Of the present session There Is
ample time for their consideration. As
/ regards most IL not all Of the matters,
| Dllls have been introduced into one or
lhe other Of the two houses, and il is
] not too nnuch 10 hope that action viii
! DC taken one way or the other on these
/ DlIIs az the present session. IN my
message at the opening Of the present
| session, and. indeed, in various mes-
| sases to previous Congresses. l have re-
Ieatedly suggested action on most OF
/ these measures.
Child labor should be prohibited
throughout the nation. At least a
model c!ij:. labor bill should be
passed fOl the District of Columbia
1t is unfortunate that in the one
place solely dependent upon Cons
gTess for ifs Legislation there should
be no Law whatever TO protect chill.
dren By fOrbidding or regulating
their labor.
| / renew my. recommendation for the
J immediate re enactment OF an employ
/ ers' liability law, drawn 10 conform %
| the recent decision Of the supreua=
/ Court Within the limits indicated by
| the court, the law should be made
/ thorough and comprehensive. and ths
/ protection il affords should embrace
/ every class OF employe 10 which the
! power of the Congress can extend.
Compensate Own Employees.
In addition to a liability law protect
ing the employees Of common carriers.
! he Government should show its good
faith by enactiug further law giving
| compensation TO its own employees for
/ injury or death incurred in its service.
/ It is q reproach TO rs as q nation that
/ in both Federal and State legislation
we have afforded less protection 10 pub
/ tic and private employees than any other
| industrial country of the world
| / also urge that action be taken along
/ the iine Of the recommendations 1 have
/ already made concerning iniunctions IN
| labor disputes No temporary restrain-
/ ing order SHOULD be issued by any court
without 10 Ice; and the petition for a
| permanent injunction upon which such
/ temporary restraining order has been is
| sued should be heard by the court ISSUE
/ ing the same within a reasonable tine
say, not to exceed a week or there
! abouts from the date when the order
vas issued It is worth considering
whether 1t would not give greater. .popu-
/ lar confidence in the impartiaIity of sen-
tences for contempt If 1t required that
the issue should be decided by another
judge than the one Issuing the injunc-
/ ton, except where the contempt is COM
mitted in the presence Of the court. or
/ ir other case OF urgency.
l again call your attention to the
urgent need of amending the inter-
state commerce 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,
subject TO these agreements being
approved by the Interstate Com
merce Commission and published in
all of their details, The commits
sion should also be given the power
TO make public and TO pass upon
the issuance Of all Securities here
after issued by railroads doing an
interstate commerce business.
a law should be passed providing in
effect that when a Federal court deter
mines to place a common carrier or
olher public utility concern under the
control Of a receivership. the attorney
general should have the right TO nom
mate at least one Of the receivers: OF
else in some other way the interests of
the stockholders should be consulted.
so that the management may not be
wholly redeIivered to the man or men
the failure Of whose policy may have
necessitated the creation of the
r-ceivershtp. Receiyerships should be
used not to operate roads. but as
speedily as possible TO pay their debts
ard return them 10 the proper owners
Amend Antitrust Law.
In addition to the reasons have al
ready urged on your attention, it has
now become important that there
should be an amendment OF the anti
trust law, because OF the uncertainty
as 10 how this law affects combina-
tions among labor men and farmers, II
the combination has any tendency 10 re-
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