Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-02-06

IL is ali wrong 10 use rhe injunction
20 prevent the entirely proper and leEiu-
mate actions Of labor orssnisations In
their struggle FOR industrial bctternent.
or under the guisc Of protecting property
rights fundamentally to invade the run
dRmental rights 81 the individual ~ "
futile To- concede. as We all do, the right
and the necessity Of organized cnort or
the part 81 Wagc-earnCts ana yet oy IN
ton to accomplish the lawful objects for
which they are organized and upon
which their success depends. The tact
that the punishment for the violation
OF an Injunction must. 20 make the order
effective, cteFsArily bc summary and
without the Intervention ~ "A jury makes
It's issuance Ia doubtful cases danger
Gus practice and In itself furnishes a
reason why the process should he sur
rounded with safeguards To project in
dividuais against being entoined from eS-
notice should be gwen the adverse party
This matter n daily becoming OF gravcr
Importance and | can not too urgently
recommend that the congress give care
ful consideration to the subject. IT some
way OF rrmedying the abuses is not tound
the feeling Of Indignation against Them
among large numbers OF our citizens VIII
tend to grow 80 extreme AZ TO produce
a revolt against the whole use OF the
ativcs who object TO cutting out the
abuses will do we'll To remember that W
the popular feeling does become strong
many of those upon whom they rely TO
defend them will b. the hrSt to turn
against them Men Of property can not
afford to trust 10 anything save the spirit
public men who. while II In Co their In.
tcrest. defend all the abuses committed
by capital and pose as the champions OF
think their interest changes. tax" the
lead In Just such matter as this and
pander 10 what they esteem popular feel
feStS V " to- destroy the power Of the
courts In matters OF Injunction; and viii
even seek to render nugatory a." power
10 punish for contempt. upon which pow
or the very existence OF the orderly adj
mlnistratiOn OF justice depends.
II Is my purpose as soon as may be TO
submit some further recommendations In
reference to our laws regulating labor
conditions within the sphere OF federal
authority. \ very recent decision OF the
dercd since this message was written.
In the case Of AdRir vs.. United States,
seemingly OF far-reaching import and
Of very serious probable consequences,
has modified the previously entertained
views on the powers Of the congress In
the premises to such a degree as to make
opinions therein hled before Il IL pos
sihie definitely to decide in what way TO
call the matter to your attention.
Asks Federal Supervision
Of interstate Carriers
No, only should there be action on Ger
tain laws affecting wagc-carncrs. there
ter TO secure control over the great bust
ness concerns engaged In Interstate com
merce. and especially over the great COM
mon carriers. The Interstate Commerce
Commission should be- empowered to
pass upon any rate or practice on its
own initiative. Moreover. Il should be-
provided that whenever the commission
has reason TO believe that "A proposed adj
vance In rate ought not to be- made
without investigation, II should have au-
thority to issue an order prohibiting the
advance pending examination BY the
commission.
would not be understood as expressing
an opinion that any or even majority
OF these advances are improper. Many
OF the rates In this country have been
abnormally low. The operating expenses
Of our railroads. notably the wages paid
railroad employees, have greatly in
creased. These and other causes may in
any given case Justify an advance In
permitted and approved. But there may
be. and doubtless are. cases where this
Is not true; and our law should be so
framed that the government as the rep
resentative OF the whole people. can pro-
tect the individual against unlawful eN-
action for the use OF these public high.
mission should be provided with the
means to make physical valuation Of
any road as TO which II deems this vnlu-
alton necessary. In some form the fed
cral government should exercise super
vision over the financial operations Of
our Interstate railroads. In no other way
owners OF those properties and the pub
lie which pay their charges When once
an Inflated capitalization has gone upon
the market and has become hXcd In
value. It's existence must be- recognized.
AS practical matter II IN then often
absolutely necessary to take account OF
the thousands OF Innocent stock holders
who have purchased their stock Ia good
faith. The usual result OF such imitation
Is therefore to impose upon the public
AN unnecessary but everlasting tax.
while the Innocent purchasers OF tho
stock are also harmed and only a few
spectators are benefited. Such wrongs
when once accomplished can with diff
hculty be undone: but they can be pre-
vented with safety and with Justice.
When combinations OF interstate railways
must obtain government sanction. when
II In no longer possible for an Interstate
railway TO issue stock or bonds. save In
the mnnner approved by the federal gov
crnment: when that government makes
sure that the proceeds OF every stock
and bond issue go into the Improvement
OF the property and not the enrichment
OF some individual or syndicate; when
whenever IL becomes material for guild
ance In the regulatiVe action OF the gov
eminent. the physical value OF one Of
| these properties II determined and made
known-there will be eliminated from
railroad securities that element OF un-
certainty which lends to them their spec
/ ulAtivc quality and which has contributed
much TO the financial stress OF the re-
cent past.
Would Permit Pooling
Of Railroad InteFests
In this connection I desire TO repeat my
! recommendation that railways be per-
! mitied To form traffic associations for the
| purpose OF comforting about and agree
| Ing upon rates, regulations, and practices
! affecting Interstate business In which the
| members OF the association are mutually
! interested. This does not mean that they
should he given the right TO pool their
earnings or their traffic. The law re-
| quires that rates shall be so adjusted az
not TO discriminate between individuals.
| localities. or different species OF traffic.
Ordinarily, rates by all competing lines
must be the same. As applied 10 prnc-
teal conditions, the railway operations
OF this country can noIsAe conducted ac-
cording 90 law without What Is equivalent
to conference and agreement. The articles
| under which such associations operate
should be approved by the commission;
all their operations should be open e
public inspection. and the rates. regula.
lions, and practices upon which they
agree should be subject to disapprOval by
the commission.
urge this last provision with the same
enrnestneAH that i do the others, This
country provides It's railway facilities by
private capitAl. Those facilities will moi
~ aN.saa -.