The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1908-12-19
LAST MESSAGE
TO CONGRESS
Brief Summary Of Roosevlt's Letter
to lawmakers.

X4OAAnk 0ut IN the message OF tho pres
dent to the second session OF the sis
meth conKross,
The financial standing Of the nation a
the present time IL excellent and tn
financial management OF the nation
Interests by the government during tn
Aet seven years has shown the mos
satisfaetory results. Bgt our currene.
70 be hoped that the currency commits
sson w,ii be able 70 propose thorough
A. regards the great corporations en-
RACED In Interstate business, and es
pecinlly the railroads. can only re-
again said in my messages TO the con
greeA ] believe that under the inter
state clause OF the constitution the
mount rigit to control all agencies OF
interstate commerce. and ! believe thai
ne national government alons can exsr.
else this right with wisdom and Of
fectivencss 80 as both to secure Justice
from. and 10 do Justice 70. tho great
porfAnf factors In modern business.
The railways OF the country should
% pat completely under the hibernate
ccmmercs commission ard removed
The power OF the commission should
be made thorouxhxoing. no that II could
exercise compiete supervision and con-
as over the raising and lowering Of
raAcs- A. regards rates. at least. this
power should be summary. The power
70 investigate the financial operations
and accounts Of tho railways has been
one or the most valuable features In
rec sseent lesislation Power TO make com.
binauons and traffic agreements should
be explicitly conferred upon the rail.
roads. the permission OF the commits
sion being first gained and the combi-
nation or agreement being published IN
All its details.
Rates must be made as low as Is
compatible with giving proper returns
AA aT.II -
from the highest to the lowest. and
proper returns 20 the shareholders, bur
they mus, not. for instance. be reduced
n such fashion as TO neeessitate a cut
y ths wages OF the employees or the
abolition OF the proper and legitimate
profits OF honest shareholders.
Telegraph and telephone companies
engaged IN interstate business should
De put under tho Jurisdiction OF the In
t<rstate commerce commission.
Interstate commerce is now chiefly
conducted by railroads. and the great
corporation has suppiantad the niuss
o. small partnerships or individuals
Tbs proposal TO make the national gov.
eminent supreme over. and therefore to
give IL complete control over, tho rail-
roads ana other Instruments CT inter
ss sars e CO.,, ~ &c Il merely proposal 70
purposes. IL not the prime purpose. for
which he constitution was founded
The are many matters affecting
or TO which ] should like to draw your
attention. but an exhaustive discussion
or the problem In all Its aspects Is not
The congress should without furthe,
delay pass model employers liability /
employers liability act recently de-
clarod unconstitutional on account OF |
apparently Including In Its provisions
fnerce as well as those engaged 10 inter. |
state commerce. has been held by the
local courts to be still In effect so far
OF Columbia There should be no am
biguity on this point II there Is any /
DOUBT on the subject, the law should b
District OF Columbia
l most earnestly urge upon the con.
Eress the duty, OF Increasing the totally
iudges On the whole there is no body
or public servants who do as VALUABLE
work nor whose monoyed reward is 80
Inadequate. compared 10 their work. Be
ginning with the supreme court, the |
Judges should have their salaries dou-
pied y Is not befitting the dignity OF
the nation that It's most honored public
servants should be paid sums so smal
compared 10 what they would earn In
pnihase . srts that the performance OF
ceedingiy heavy pecuniary sacrifice
IL Is earnestly TO be desired that some
method should be devised for doing
away with the long delays which now
obtain In the administration OF Justice
and which operate with peculiar severity
favor only the very criminain whom il
IL most deslrable to punish. These long
delays In the final decisions OF CASES
ana remedy should be devised sd"s MSes
OF this intoierable delay In due TO i'm.
proper regard paid TO technicalities {
In some noted recent cases this over 4
regard for technicailtiea has resulted In | /
. striking denial OF Justice. and fragrant >
wrong 10 the body polite. IL
Real damage has been done by the
manifold and conflicting interpretations
,f the interstate commerce law. Con.
interstate business can be effective only i
q II Is vested with fun power in al
% MI nistrauon department.. branch
y the federal executive. carrying out
federal law; IL can never be effective
Z a divided responsibility il LEFT in
,o,h the states and the nation; Il can /,
" the courts TO be DECIDED by law suits
III there Is any one duty which NOR :,
lren and our chiidren's children 40 1 nnr-
orm at once, u A. to save the forests ,
y this country. for they constitute {
: nv s,,e cor ana mos. important element 4
sources OF the country There are. of N
curse. two kinds OF natural resources | !,
~, = , - 'nc aind which can only be used p
his II true OF mines. natural oil nno }
as "a wells. and the like. The other. and !,
4 course. ultimately by FAR the nost =
Important. includes the resources which =.
an be improved In the process Of Wis
se-the soil. the rivers. and the for | -.
80 80 come under this head. Any reall, =
iNilized nation viii 40 use all Of thesf | /,
nree great national assets that the ~
uturo. 50 N' ~
All serious students Of the question e
re aware Of the great damage that has
cen done IN the Mediterranean conn | re
res Of Europe, Asia and Africa by ot
eIorestAuon. The similar damage thai ol
as been done In eastern Asia Is less OF
The lesson OF Differentiation IN ch,,s 1r
lesson which mankind should have W
49, s,1s.,, many times already from what %
IN On leaves naked soil: then guliyinr n
lts down 10 the bare rocks: and "A
,ssnwhile the rock waste buries III
Ike long. IVES no ~
what has happened in northern China "
nHl has happened In central Asia. An IA
aiesttne- In north Africa. in narfs - IN
=, Mediterranean countries OF Fnrone "a
M surely happen IN our couptrv IN W. ~
not exercise that wise f0rethouvhf |
-, ~, should ,,, be one OF the chief marks n
othlns should be permitted 10 stand a. M
y way OF the preservation OF the for | NJ.
~ -. and u y criminal 70 permit ind IN
lenseives through the destr,,~tinn 10. ~
'rosts when this destruction ~ 49, ~,
ne wel-oeing OF the whole countrx sc
action should be begun for,hw,,h
lrnF the present session OF me Co. | y.
fees for the improvement o. o,,< az, ~
~ 'waterways-action which will re- | ~
n navssstsds US not only naviEabic vi
,ndredr ~ millions OF dollars nnor ~
"atef"kys, yet the traffic or ~
~ Al % them 4 steadily declining. Il
nls condition IL the direct result ~ ~
y absence OF any comureharni.,e ~ ~