The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-03-26
THE PRESIDENT
SENDS MESSAGE
URGES CONGRESS TO PASS CHILD.
LABOR LEGISLATION.
FINANCES NEED ATTENTION.
Something Must be Done With Cur
rency System - Preparations
for a Revision Of the Tar
iff schedules.
United Press Dispatci.

United Press Dispatch.
Washington. D. c.. March "a Pre-
sident this afternoon sent message
to congress covering the legislation
which he desires enacted before the
close of rne present session.
To the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives: call your attention to-
certain measures as to which think
there should be action by the congress
before the close of the present session.
There is ample time for their consider
alton. AS regards most il not all Oh
the matters, bills have been intro
duced into one or the other Of the two
houses, and 1t is not too much to hope
that action win be taken one way or
the other on these bills at the present
session. In my message at, the open
Ing OF the present session, and. In
deed, in various messages to previous
congresses, l have repeatedly sug-
gested action on most Of these meas
ures.
. Child labor should be prohibited
throughout the nation. At least a
model childIabor bill should be passed
for the District of Columbia. 1t is
unfortunate that In the one place sole
ly dependent upon congress for its
legislation there should be no law
whatever to protect children by for
bidding or regulating their labor.
] renew my recommendation for the
Immediate re-enactment Of an employ
ers' liability law, drawn to conform to
the recent decision OF the supreme
court. Within the limits indicated by
the court, the law should be made
thorough and comprehensive, and the
protection 1t affords should embrace
every class Of employe to which the
power Of the congress can extend.
In addition to liability law pro-
tecting the employees of common car
riers, the government should show its
good faith by enactiug 4 further law
giving aampensatsesa W ~; -, -
pioyes for injury or death incurred 50
its service. It Is a reproach 10 us as
a nation that In both federal and state
legislation we have afforded less pro-
lection to public and private employees
than any other Industrial country Of
the world
Injunction Legislation.
I also urge that action be taken
along the line of the recommendations
have already made concerning in
functions in labor disputes. No tenn
porary restraining order should be is
A,, rt-tfh a
the petition for a permanent injunc-
tion upon which such temporary re-
straining order has been issued should
be heard by the court Issuing the same
within a reasonable time say, not to
exceed week or thereabouts from the
date when the order was issued. It Is
worth considering whether 1t would
not give greater popular confidence in
the impartiality of sentences for COM
tempt If 1t was required that the issue:
should be- decided by another judge1
than the one Issuing the injunction;
except where the contempt is COM
mitted in the presence of the court, or
In other case of urgency. M
Rate Law Amendments.
again cali attention to the urgent
need OF amending the interstate COM
merce law and especially the antitrust
law along the lines indicated in my
last message. The Interstate com
merce law should be amended so as
to give railroads the right to make
traffic agreements, subject to these
agreements being approved by the in
terstate commerce commission and
published in all OF their details The
commission should also be given the
power to make public and to pass upon
the issuance of all securities hereafter
issued by railroads doing an interstate
commerce business.
A law should be passed providing in
effect that when federal court de
termines to place a common carrier
or other public utility concern under
the coitrol of a receivership. the at
| torney general should have the right
to nominate at least one Of the receiv-
ers; or else In some other way the
interests of the stockholders should be
! consulted so that the management
may not be wholly re-delivered to the
man or men the failure OF whose pol.
1 icy may have necessitated the crea-
1 ton Of the receivership. Receiverships
1 should be used. not to operate roads,
but as speedily as possible TO pay their
debts and return them to the proper
owners
Would Amend Antitrust Law.
In addition to the reasons | have al
ready urged on your attention. it has
now become important that thers
should be an amendment Of the anti
trust law, because fof the uncertainty
as to how this law Affects comblna
tions among labor men and farmers
II the combination has any tendency
i TO restrict Interstate commerce. All
Of these combinations. II and while
existing for and engaged In the promo
| tion Of innocent and proper purposes