The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-02-01
IN SPECIAL. :. MESSAGE
President Urges Necessity Of Ger
tain Labor Legislation.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS MADE
Better Control Great Business Con-
Germs and Would Prohibit the Worst
Forms of Gambling in Futures.

Better CoNtfOI 0redt BUSINESS Con-
Germs and Would Prohibit the Worst
Forms Of Gambling in Futures.
Washington, Feb. i. - President
Roosevelt has sent a special message
to congress in which he again calls
attention to the abuse of injunctions
in labor cases and urges remedial leg
islation. The president also recon-
mends the re-enactment of the en-
ployers' liability act recently de-
clared unconstitutional, limited in
scope to apply only to interstate COM
merce. He refers at length to gam
bling in stocks and futures and urges
that action be taken to prevent at
least the making of large sales of
what men do not possess and corner
ing the market. In recommending the
strengthening Of antitrust laws he
calls attention to the bitter and per-
sistent attacks on the administration
now being made by corporations
brought to the bar of justice for viola
ton Of law. The message, in part,
follows:
The supreme court has decided the
employers liability law to be uncon-
stitutional because it's terms apply to
employees engaged wholly in intrastate
commerce as we'll as to employees en-
gagged in interstate commerce. BY a
substantial majority the court holds
that the congress has power to deal
with the question in SO far as inter-
state commerce is concerned. AS re-
CARDS the employers liability law l
advocate its immediate re-enactment,
limiting its scope SO that it shall ap-
ply only to the class of cases as to
which the court says it can constitu-
tiCnally apply, but Strengthening its
provisions within this scope.
I also very urgently advise that
comprehensive act be passed provid-
ing for compensation by the govern
ment to all employees injured in the
government service. Under the pres
ent law an injured workman in the
employment of the government has no
remedy and the entire burden of the
accident falls on the helpless man, his
wife and his young children. This is
an outrage. 1t is a matter of humilia-
tion to the nation that there should
not be on our statute books provision
to meet and. partially to atone for
cruel misfortune when it comes upon
a man through no fault of his own
while faithfully serving the public.
Abuse of the Injunction.
l again call your attention to the
need of some action in connection
with the abuse of injunctions in labor
cases. AS regards the rights and
wrongs of labor and capital, from
blacklisting to boycotting, the whole
subject is covered in admirable fash
ion by the report of the anthracite
coal strike commission, which report
should serve as chart for the guild
ance of both legislative and executive
officers. AS regards injunctions can
in my last message to the congress.
Even though it were possible should
consider it most unwise to abolish the
use OF the process of Injunction The
judge who uses it cautiously and con-
servatively, but who, when the need
arises, uses it fearlessly, confers the
greatest service upon our people and
his pre-eminent usefulness as a public
servant should be heartily recog-
nized. But there is no question in my
mind that it has sometimes been used
heedlessly and unjustly and that some
of the injunctions issued inflict grave
and occasionally irreparable wrong
upon those enjoined.
1t is all wrong to use the Injunction
to prevent the entirely proper and
legitimate actions of labor organiza-
lions in their struggle for Industrial
betterment or under the guise of pro-
tecting property rights unwarrantably
TO invade the fundamental rights of
the Individual. 1t is futile to concede,
as we all do, the right and the neces-
sity of organized effort on the part of
wage earners and yet by injunctive
process to forbid peaceable action to
accomplish the lawful objects for
which they are organized and upon
which their success depends. The
fact that the punishment for the VIOLA
ton of an injunction must, to make
the order effective, necessarily be
summary and without the Intervention
Of jury makes its issuance in doubt
full cases dangerous practice and in
itself furnishes reason why the
process should be surrounded with
safeguards to protect individuals
against being enjoined from exercising
their proper rights.
Not only should there be action on
certain laws affecting wage earners;
there should also be such action on
laws better to secure control over the
great business concerns engaged in
interstate commerce and especially
over the great common carriers. The
Interstate commerce commission
should be empowered to pass upon any
rate or practice on it's own initiative.
Moreover, it should be provided that
whenever the commission has reason
to believe that proposed advance in
a rate ought to be made without in
vestigation it should have authority
to issue an order prohibiting the ad.