The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-04-03
THE PRESIDENT AGAIN CALLS AT.
TENTloN OF CONGRESS TO
IMPORTANT MEASURES.
URGES ACTION BEFORE ADJOURNMENT
Bills Covering Most If Not All the Mat
tiers Have Already Been introduced
Child Labor-Employers' Liability
and Amendments to Sherman Law
Among Matters Mentioned.


Washington, Mar. 25.-The following
is the full text Of a special message
from President Roosevelt read in both
houses of congress Wednesday:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
| call your attention to certain meas
ures as to which think there should
be 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
bills have been introduced into one or
the other of the two houses, and it is
not too much to hope that action will
be taken one way or the other on these
bills at the present session. In my
message at the opening of the present
session, and, indeed, in various mes
sages to previous congresses, | have
repeatedly suggested action on most of
these measures.
Child labor should be prohibited
throughout the nation. At least a
model child-labor bill should be passed
for the District of Columbia. 1t is I'M
fortunate that in the one place solely
dependent upon congress for its legis-
lation there should be no law what
ever to protect children by forbidding
or regulating their labor.
| renew my recommendation for the
immediate reenactment of an employ
ers' liability law, drawn to conform to
the recent decision of the supreme
court. Within the limits indicated by
the court, the law should be made
thorough and comprehensive, and the
protection it affords should embrace
every class of employee to which the
power of the congress can extend.
, In addition to liability law pro-
tecting the employees of common car
rers, the government should show its
good faith by enacting a further law
giving compensation to it's own en-
ployes for injury or death incurred in
its service. 1t is reproach to us as
nation that in both federal and state
legiSlation we have offered less protec
ton to public and private employees
than any other industrial country of
the world.
also urge that action be taken
along the line Of the recommendations
| have already made concerning in
functions in labor disputes. No tenn
porary restraining order should be is
sued by any court without notice and
the petition for permanent injunction
upon which such temporary restrain
ing order has been issued should be
heard by the court issuing the same
within a reasonable time-say, not
to exceed a week or whereabouts from
the date when the order was issued.
1t is worth considering whether it
would not give greater popular conf
dence in the impartiality of sentences
for contempt if it was required that
the issue should be decided by another
Judge than the one issuing the injunc-
ton, except where the contempt is
committed in the presence OF the
court, or in other case of urgency.
again call attention to the urgent
need of amending the interstate COM
merce law and especially the antitrust
law along the lines indicated in my
last message. The interstate COM
merce law should be amended so as to
give railroads the right to make traffic
agreements. subject to these agree
ments being approved by the inter-
state commerce commission and pub
iished in all their details. The COM
mission should also be given the pow
q. % make public and to pass upon the
issuance of all securities hereafter is
sued 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
other 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; or
else in some other way the interests
of the stockholders should be con
suited, so tnat the mana SeluShI may
not be wholly redelivered to the man
or men the failure of whose policy may
have necessitated the creation of the
receivership. Receiverships should be
used. not to operate roads, but as
speedily as possible to pay their debts
and return them to the proper owners
In addition to the reasons have al
ready aged on your attention, 1t has
now become important that there
should oe an amendment of the anti
trust law, because of the uncertaint!
as TO how this law affects combinations
among labor men and farmers, If thu
combination has any tendency to re
strict interstate commerce. All o
these combinations. if and while exist
ing for. and engaged in the promotion
of innocent and proper purposes
should be recognized as legal As
have repeatedly pointed out, this anti
trust law was a most unwisely draw
statute. 1t was perhaps inevitaol
.bat in feeling after the right remed'