The Montgomery tribune., 1908-05-01
PRESIDENT FURTHER OUTLINES
HIS VIEWS AS TO LEGlS-
LATloN NEEDED.
The TARIFF IS MENTIONED
Asks That Financial Laws BE Enacted
Providing Temporary Measures
to Meet Sudden
Trouble.

Washington--Condit in both the
senate and the house were such that
the special message of the president,
further outlining his views as to leg
islation, which was sent to congress
Monday, received but scant attention.
The message arrived late in the day,
and the house was so tied up under
Its new rules that it could not official
ly receive the message, while the SEN
ate was in the naval appropriation
bill under the 10-minute rule, when
the document reached that body
The presidents message, in part,
reads as follows:
The Message.
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
In my message to the congress of
March 25, 1908, l outlined certain
measures which believe the majority
of our countrymen desire to have en-
acted into law at this time. These
measures do not represent by any
means all that | 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.
Hopes for Child Labor Law.
Since / wrote this message an en-
ployers' liability law has been enacted
which, 1t is true. comes short OF what
ought to have been done, but which
does represent a real advance. Ap-
parently there is good ground to hope
that there will be further legislation
providing for recompensing all en-
ployes who suffer injury while en-
gagged in the public service; that there
will be a child-labor law enacted for
the District of Columbia; that the wa
with sufficient financial support to in
crease the effectiveness of it's prepara-
tory work; that steps will be taken to
provide for such investigation into
tariff conditions, by the appropriate
committee of the house of representa-
tives and by government experts in
the executive service, as will secure
the full information necessary for i'm
mediate action in revising the tariff
at the hands of the congress elected
next fall; and finally. that financial
legislation will be enacted providing
for temporary measures for meeting
any trouble that may arise in the
next year or two, and for a commits
sion Of experts who shall thoroughly
investigate the whole matter, both
here and in the great commercial
countries abroad, so as to be able to
recommend legislation which will put
our financial system on an efficient
and permanent basis 1t is much to
be wished that one feature of the
financial legislation of this session
should be the establishment of postal
savings banks.
Power of Injunction.
There seems, however, much doubt
about two of the measures have rec
Ommended 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
business.
First, as to the power of injunction
and of punishment for contempt. In
contempt cases, save where immediate
actions is imperative, the trial should
be before another Judge. AS regards
iniunctions, some such legislation as
that / have previously recommended
should be enacted. They are blind
who fail to realize the extreme bitter
ness caused among large bodies of
worthy citizens by the use that has
been repeatedly made of the power of
Injunction in labor disputes. 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 unwarranted,
yet that it is unquestionably true that
in a number of cases this power has
been used to the grave injury of the
rights of laboring men.
Strengthening Antitrust Law.
The strengthening of the antitrust
law is demanded upon both moral and
economic grounds. Our purpose In
strengthening 1t is to secure more eff
fective control by the national gov
ernment over the business use of the
vast masses of individual, and espe-
cially Of corporate. wealth.
They now monopolize most Of the
Interstate business of the country;
and we believe the control can best
be exercised by preventing the growth
of abuses, rather than merely by try
ing to destroy them when they have
already grown. In the highest sense
CT the wcrd this movement for thor
cugh control of the business use OF
this gre1t wealth is conservative. We
t-x-f-,rr ~ o. sofa yraiddla