Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-04-28
THE MESSAGE GLASS CONSCIOUSNESS EVIL.
Government. Not States. Should
 Control Larue Corporations.
POSTAL BANKS ADVOCATED.

Washington, April 2S.-The presi- dents message to congress follows: To the Senate and House of Repre-
 sentatiyes:
 In my message to the congress of March 25, 1908, outlined certain measures which I believe the majori- ty of our countrymen desire to have. enacted into law at this time. These measures do not represent by any means all that I would like to see done if thought it possible, but they do represent what believe can now be done if an earnest effort toward this end is made.
 Employers Liability Act.
 Since I wrote this message an em- ployers' liability law has been enacted which, it is true, comes short of what ought to have been done, but which does represent a real advance. Apparently there is good ground to hope that there will be further legis lation providing for recompensing all employees who suffer injury while en- gagged in the public service; that there will be child labor law enacted for the District of Columbia; that the wa terways commission will be continued with sufficient financial support to in crease the effectiveness of its prepara- tory work; that steps will be taken to provide for such investigation into tar iff conditions by the appropriate com. mittee of the house of representatives and by government experts in the ex- ecutive service as will secure the full information necessary for immediate action in revising the tariff at the hands of the congress elected next fall, and, finally, that financial legislation will be enacted providing for tenn porary measures for meeting any trou- ble that may arise in the next year or two, and for commission of experts who shall thoroughly investigate the whole matter, both here and in the great commercial countries abroad, so IS to be able to recommend legislation which will put our financial system on an efficient and permanent basis. It is much to be wished that one fea- lure of the financial legislation of this session should be the establishment of postal savings banks. Ample appro- priations should be made to enable the interstate commerce commission to carry out the very important feature of the Hepburn law which gives to the commission supervision and control over the accounting systems of the rail- ways.
 Benefit to Corrupt Railways.
 Failure to provide means which will enable the commission to examine the books of the railways would amount to an attack on the law at its most vital point, and would benefit, as nothing else could benefit, those railways which are corruptly or incompetently managed. Forest reserves should be established throughout the Appalachian mountain region wherever it can be shown that they will have direct and real connec- ton with the conservation and i'm proyement of navigable rivers.
 There seems. however, much doubt about two of the measures I have rec commended: The measure to do away with abuse of the power of injunction and the measure or group of measures to strengthen and render both more efficient and more wise the control by the national government over the great corporations doing an interstate busi- ness.
 First, as to the power of injunction and of punishment for contempt. In contempt cases, save where immediate action is imperative, the trial should be before another judge. As regards injunctions, some suclfN legislation as that l have previously recommended should be enacted. They are blind who fail 10 realize the extreme bitterness caused among large bodies of worthy citizens by the use that has been re- peatedly made of the power of injunc. ton in labor disputes.
 Limiting Labor injunetions.
 Those in whose judgment we have most right to trust are of the opinion that while much of the complaint against the use of the injunction is un- warranted. yet that it Is unquestion- ably true that in a number of cases this power has been used to the grave Injury of the rights of laboring men. ask that it be limited fin some such way as that I have already pointed out in my previous messages, for the very reason that do not wish to see an em- bittered effort made 10 destroy it. It Is unwise stubbornly to refuse 10 pro- vide against repetition of the abuses which have caused the present unrest In a democracy like ours it is idle to expect permanently to thwart the de- termination of the great body of our cit lzens. II may be and often is the highest duty of a court. a legislature or an ex- ecutive to resist and defy a gust of popular passion, and most certainly no public servant. whatever may be the consequences to himself. should yield to what he thinks wrong. But in question which is emphatieally one of public policy. the policy which the pub lIc demands is sure in the end to be adopted. and a persistent refusal to grant to a large portion of our people what is right Is only too apt in the end to result in causing such irritation that when the right is obtained it Is obtained in the course of q movement co m considered and violent as to be