Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-08
SUBMITS
VIEWS TO CONGRESS
Annual Message Urges Jus.
tice for Corporations.
MODIFIED ANTITRUST LAW
Power for Interstate Commerce Com.
mission Over Railroads.
FOR ARMY AND NAVY REFORM
Plea for Conservation of NATIONAL
Resources-Warning Cited in Dew
astation Throughout China.


tered today in the Presidents message.
Senator Aldrich on behalf of the Senate
committee and Representative Payne for
the House committee. appointed to notify
the President that the two bodies were In
session. informed their respective houses
that they had performed this duty. Each
reported that the President had responded
to their notification with a statement that
he would Immediately submit a message
In writing.
Secretary Latta followed close upon the
heels Of the two committees, appearing
first in the Senate and then in the House.
The reading of the message began In the
Senate at 12:15. just a quarter of an hour
after the Senate had convened, and in the
House a few minutes later.
The galleries Of both houses were we'll
filed. Almost all the seats OF senators
and members were occupied by their own
ers All were supplied with printed copies
of the message. which proved to be doc
ument of forty-four printed pages. with
an elaborate appendix containing numer-
GUS illustrations showing the results OK
the work of the forestry bureau.
Senators and members gave compare
lively little attention to the reading Of the
mediately busted themselves with the
printed copies before them. In these cop
les much interest was manifested.
Contents Of Message.
President Roosevelt's annual message to
Congress goes over much the same ground
he has traversed in previous communica-
tions and repeats recommendations hith-
erto made, celebrating upon some features.
Nothing startlingly new to disturb the
business of the country generally Is found
in the document, The same high moral
tone. the same preachment and laying
down of doctrine and principle which
characterized previous messages are found
In this one.
Congratulating the country upon the ex.
cellent financial standing of the nation
and the financial management OF the ma
tion's interests by the government, the
President takes up at once the subject or
federal control Of corporations engaged in
interstate business.
He repeats former contentious that un-
der the interstate clause of the federal
Constitution the United States has com
pete and paramount right TO control all
agencies of interstate commerce, ana thar
the national government alone can ex-
ercise this right with wisdom and erect
iveness so as both to secure justice from
and do justice to the great corporations
He recommends again amendment Of the
Sherman law so as to permit combinations
which are i'm the interests of the public.
but which shall be under supervision and
control of the national government. He
would remove the railways entirely from
the domain of the antitrust law and put
them under the interstate commerce COM
mission.
The power of the commission should
extend 10 complete supervision over the
issue. of securities and should be sum-
mary as to raising and lowering rates
AS an offset. the roads should be empow-
cred to make traffic agreements and COM
binations. subject TO the commissions ap-
prova'.
The commission should also have power
over interstate telephone and Telegraph
companies.
The President says that opposition TO
this policy of control of corporations
makes its most effective effort IN the
shape of an appeal to the old doctrine OF
states rights. He contends That the pro-
poSai to give the national government con-
troll over the instruments Of Interstate
commerce * plan merely TO carry out
to tire letter one of the prime purposes.
If not the prime purpose. for which the
Constitution was founded.
He insists that il does not represent CEN
ira liza tion but the acknowledgment OF
the patent fact that Capitalization has
already come in business This ire
sponsibie outside business power can De
controlled in only one way, ana tnat oy
the national government.
To accomplish this necessary controi
means the increase in the use OF power
by the central government. He contends
that this is not the CREATION of new power,
since the power already exists. and that
the only question is whether 1t shall be
used or allowed to remain idle.
rh,,oa for To horor
Concerning labor. he advocates steady
efforts In many directions to bring about
a condition of affairs under which the
men who work with hand or with brain
the iaborers. the supelintendents, the men
who produce for the market and the men
who find market for the articles pro-
duced-shall own 1t lar greater snare thau
at present OF III. wealth they produce and
be enabled to invest it in the tools ano
instruments by which al work is carried
on.
There is u plea for corporation. for IN
vestment by small stockholders. especial
ly in the industrial institutions In which
they are employed.
The Pre- sident makes an urgent plea 70,
action in the coming session of Congress
on an adequate employers liability law.
He points out in vivid fashion the in.
Justice done to wagewor1ers by the alb.
seEce of such law and insists that the
government should take the first step.
To that end lac says:
1.-The Congress should without further
delay pass Il model employers liability
law for the District of Columbia. The
employers liability act recently i clarec
unconstitutional on account of apparently
including in its provisions employees en-
ga ga in intrastaie commerce as " II as
those engaged II inte state commerce
has been held by the local courts to be
still in effect So far as its provisions ap-
ply 10 the District OF Columbia. There
should be 10 ambiguity on this point. II
there is any doubt on tn subject the Law
should be re-enacted with special refer
ence to the District CT Columbia.
This act applies, however, only to EN-.
ployes of common carriers. In all otheI
occupations III liability law of the Dis
trict is the old common law. The sever
ity and injustice OF the common law Ia
this matter has been in, some degree OF
another modified in the majority of oui
states and the Only Jurisdiction under
tn. exclusive control of the Congres:
Should he ahead of and not behind The