The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-02-07

grave ana occas,onaly irreparapie wrong
1t is all wrong to use the Injunction
to prevent the entirely proper and legiti-
mate actions OF labor organizations IN
th1r .sIpgglc for industrial betterment,
or undeT the guise of protecting property
rights unwairantably to Invade tho run
damcntal rights OF the Individual. IL is
AMI the necessity OF organized effort on
tho part OF wage-earners and yet by IN
tunctive process to forbid peaceable &C
ton to accomplish the lawful objects Tor
which they are organized ana upon
which their success depends. The tact
that at the n p niIds msst TO tor make IKE , H1o' srder
| effective, necessarily be summary and
without the interyenti25 81 q Jury makes
l's 's ptSsise. !" aS SGuP in Itself sascf fu a n2nser a
reason why the process should be sur
rounded with ~sqtegysrds % protect In
dividuals against bcl1g, cn!oined from eS.
notice should be given the advefW party.
This matter is daily becoming OF grdvef
Importance and ! can not too urgently
recommend that the congress give care
full consideration to the subject. III some
way of remedying the abuses Is not found
among large numbers of our citizens VIII
tend to grow so extreme as TO roduc
a revolt against the whole use of the
process of injunction. The ultra conserv-
atives who object to cutting out the
abuses W;i, do well to remember that II
the popular feeling does become strong
am sfegyd 81 hing M9sg Viii ii9b he N iTS a mfY to- rely iur fS
| against them, Men OF property can not
affQrd TO trust to anything save the spirit
Of Justice and fair play; TOR those very
terest, defend all the abuses committed
by capital and pose as the champions OF
conservatism. will. the moment they
think their interest changes. take the
lead In just such a matter as this and
pander to what they esteem. popular feel
i fas lpK snqea Gestray t for. p ,ns,anc Of the ffe
courts In matters o. iMtun2.,3D, AM VI.
even seek to render nugatOIv the, poNtf
to punish for contempt, upon which, pow
ell The very existence of the orderly al
ministration of justice depends.
it Is my purpose as soon as may be TO
reference to our laws regulating labor
conditions within the sphere. of federal
authority. A very recent decision of the
dered since this message was written.
in the case Of Adair ys. United States,
se 9l 1ar5res:h,ps import and
has mjNtaed the previously entertained
Views on the powers of the ongrcs In
the premises to such d degree as to make
opinions therein filed before 1t is pos
sible definitely to decide in what way to
call the matter to your attention.
Asks Federal Supervision
of Interstate Carriers
Not only should there be action on GER
tain laws affecting wage-earners: there
ter to secure control over the great bust
ness concerns engaged in interstate COM
merce, and especially, over the great COM
Commission should be empowered to
pass upon any rate or practice on its
own Initiative. Moreover, 1t should be
provided that whenever the commission
has reason TO believe that a proposed adj
vance in a rate ought not to be made
without investigation, it should have au-
| th0rltV In iQgnn an order nrnhthifinU tho
advance pending examination by the
commission.
an opinion that any or even a majority
OF these advances are improper. Many
81 the rates in this country have been
az asf1 Sa4 1S% The gger rat wa sSse psis
creased. These and other causes may in
any given case Justify an advance in
permittsd, and approved. But there may
be, and doubtless are, cases where this
Is not true; and our law should be so
resentative of the whole people. can pro-
tect the Individual against unlawful ex-
action for the use of these public high
ways. The Interstate m Com
mission should be provided with the
means to make a physical valuation of
alton r1 nece as TO "hi nc !. deems this val9-
eral government should exercise super
vision over the financial operations OF
out iilttISldIe TdllTOauS. III no Otner WAY
can Justice be done between the private
owners of those properties and the pub
lie which pay their charges. When once
an inflated capitalization has gone upon
the market and has become liked In
value, Its existence must be recognized.
AS a practical matter 1t is then often
absolutely necessary to take account of
the thousands of innocent stockholders
who have purchased their stock in good
faith. The usual result of such imitation
is therefore to impose upon the public
an unnecessary but everlasting tax,
while the innocent purchasers of the
stock, are also harmed and only a few
when once accomplished can with diff
hculty. be undone: but they can be pre-
When combinations of interstate railways
must obtain government sanction: when
IT Is no longer possible for an interstate
railway to issue stock or bonds, save in
the manner approved by the federal gov
ernment: when that government makes
sure that the proceeds of every stock
and bond issue go into the Improvement
OF the property and not the enrichment
OF some individual or syndicate: when,
Whenever 1t becomes material for guild
eminent. the physical value Of one of
these properties is determined and made
~known--there will be eliminated from
railroad securities that element of un-
certainty which lends to them their spec
ulative quality and which has contributed
cent past.
Would Permit Pooling
Of Railroad Interests
In this connection I desire to repeat my
recommendation that always be per-
United to form traffic associations for the
purpose of comforting about and agree
ing upon rates, regulations. and practices
affecting Interstate business In which the
members of the association are mutually
interested. This does not mean that they
should be given the right to pool their
earnings or their traffic. The law re-
quires that rates shall be so adjusted as
not to between individuals,
localities. or different species of traffic.
Ordinarily, rates by all competing lines
must be the same. AS applied to prac-
tical conditions, the railway operations
OF this country can not be conducted ac-
cording to law without what is equivalent
to conference and agreement. The articles
under which such associations operate
should he approved by the commission;
all their operations should be open to
public inspection: and the rates, regnla-
tons. and practices upon which they
agree should be subject to disapproval by
the commission.
urue this lpSt nrOyjsinn with the @ a M