The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-04-28
Special Document to Congress
Urges Enactment
OF CERTAIN MEASURES.
"Class Consciousness" Evil-Government
Not States, Should Control the
Large Corporations--Postal
Banks Advocated.

sent the following message to congress
today:
10 the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives:
In my message to the congress Of
March 20, 1908, outlined certain
measures which / believe the maJorl-
ty of our countrymen desire to have
enacted into law at this time. These
measures do not represent by any
means all that would like to see
done If thought 1t possible, but they
do represent what l believe can now
be done IL an earnest effort toward
this end is made.
Employers Liability Act.
Since wrote this message an EN-
pIoyers liability law has been enacted
which, 1t is true, comes short OF
what ought to have been done, but
which does represent real advance.
Apparently there is good ground 10
hope that there will be further legis-
lation providing for recompensing all
employees who suffer injury while en-
gagged In the public service; that there
win be child labor law enacted for
the District of Columbia; that the wa.
terways commission will be continued
with sufficient financial support to In
crease the effectiveness Of its prepare
tory work: that steps will be taken to
provide for such investigation into tar.
if conditions by the appropriate com
mittee Of the house of representatives
and by government experts in the OK.
ecutive service as win secure the full
information necessary for immediate
action ia revising the tariff at the
hands Of the congress elected next fan,
and, finally, that financial legislation
will be enacted providing for tenn
porary measures for meeting any trou-
BILE that may arise In the next year OF
two, and for a commission 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 win put our financial system
on an efficient and permanent basis.
1t is much to be wished that one fea-
ture Of the financial legislation of this
session should be the establishment of
postal savings banks. Ample appro-
priations should be made to enable the
interstate commerce commission TO
carry out the very important feature
of the Hepburn law which gives to the
commission supervision and control
over the accounting systems Of the rain
ways.
Benefit TO Corrupt Railways.
Failure to provide means which win
enable the commission to examine the
books Of the railways woBld amount to
an attack on the law at Its most vital
point. and would benefit as nothing else
could benefit, those railways which are
corruptly or incompetentIy managed.
Forest reserves should be established
throughout the Appalachian mountain
region wherever II can be shown that
they will have direct and real connec-
ton with the conservation and inn
proyement of navlgable rivers.
There seems, however, much doubt
about two Of the measures l have rec
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
and more wise the control by
the national government over the great
doing an interstate bust
ness.
First, as to the power Of injunction
and of punishment for contempt. In
contempt cases. save where immediate
action Is imperative, the trial should
be before another Judge As regards
some such legislation an
that have previously recommended |
should be enacted. They are blind who
fail to realize the extreme bitterness
caused among large bodies Of worthy
citizens by the use that has been re-
made Of the power OF injunc.
ton in labor disputes.
Limiting Labor Iniunetlons,
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 nm.
warranted. vet that it is unquestion-
ably true that in number Of cases
this power has been used to the grave
injury of the rights of laborlng men.
ask that it be limited in some such way /
as that l have already pointed out in
my previous messages, for the very
reason that do not wish to see an en-
Filtered effort made TO destroy it. 1t
Is unwise stubbornly to refuse to pro- /
vide against a repetition Of the abuses
which have caused the present unrest.
IN a democracy like ours it is idle to
expect permanently to thwart the de-
Of the great body Of our cit
zens. 1t may be and often is the highest
luty Of a court a legislature or an ex-
ecutlve to resist and defy a gust OF