The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-04-29
president PRODS
CONGRESS AGAIN
Calls Its Attention to Laws
He Urges Should
Be Passed.
GIVES QUITE A LENGTHY LIST
Devotes His Message, However,
Almost Entirely to Corpora
ton Control and Labor.
Presses Limitation of the Injunction
Would Strengthen the Commerce
Board-National Incorpor-
ton Advocated.

TO the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives:
In my message to the congress of
March %, 1908, outlined certain
measures which 1 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 I believe can now be
done if an earnest effort toward this
end is made.
Laws He Wants Enacted.
Since I wrote this message an en-
ployers' liability law has been enacted
which, it is true, comes short Of what
ought to have been DONE but which
does represent a real advance. APP
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
for the District of Columbia; that the
waterways commission will be cont:n-
ued with sufficient financial support to
increase the effectiveness Of it's prep
atory 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 commission Of
experts who shall thoroughly investi-
gate the whole matter, both here and
in the great commercial countries
abroad, so as to be able to recon- mend
legislation which will put our fnan-
cial system on an efficient and perma.
nent basis.
He Mentions Few More.
1t is much to be wished that one
this session should be the establish.
ment of postal savings banks. Ample
appropriation should be made to en-.
able the interstate commerce commits
sion to carry out the very important
feature of the Hepburn law which
gives the commission supervision and
control over the accounting systems Of
the railways. Failure to provide
means which will enable the commits
sion to examine the books of the rail
ways would amount to an attack on
the law at it's most vital point, and
would benefit, as nothing else could
benefit, those railways which are cor
ruptly or incompetently managed.
Forest reserves should be established
throughput the Appalachian mountains
region wherever it can be shown that
they will have direct and real con-
nection with the conservation and i'm
provement of navigable rivers.
Two Measures in Much Doubt.
There seems, however, much doubt
about two of the measures I have rec
| commended: 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.