Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-04-03
ROOSEVELT AGAIN
PETITIONS CONGRESS
President Sends Special Mes
sage TO Congress, Urging
Legislation.
POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS
On This and Other important Matters,
Executive Renews His Recommcn-
dstions-For Permanent
Waterways Commission.

Washington, March 25.-Emphatically
urging action on the important legisla-
tive matters before il, including tariff
revision, the Sherman antitrust law,
the currency measures n the labor
problems. President Roosevelt today
sent TO congress another special mes
sage.
The president devotes most OF his at
tention 10 the proposed amendment OF
the sherman antitrust law. making
some important suggestions as TO its
revision.
The message in full follows:
To the Senate and House OF Representa-
tiVes:
l 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 consideration. As regards most *
not all OF the matters, bills have been
introduced into one or the other OF the
two houses. and Ii is not too much to
hope that action will be taken one way or
the other on these bills at the present ses-
sion. In my message at the opening OF the
present session, and, indeed, In various
messages TO previous congresses, / have
repeatedly suggested action on most OF
these measures,
Child labor should be prohibited through
out the nation. At least a model child
labor bill should be passed for the District
OF Columbia. 1t Is unfortunate that I'm the
one place solely dependent upon congress
for It's legislation there should be no law
whatever TO protect children by forbid
ding or regulating their labor.
i renew my recommendation for the i'm
mediate re-enactment of an employers
Liability law, drawn to conform to the re-
cent decision OF the supreme court. With
IN the limits indicated by the court, the
law should be made thorough and COM
prehenstve, and the protection It affords
should embrace every class of employee to
which the power Of the congress can ex-
tend.
In addition TO a liability law protecting
the employees OF common carriers, the gov
eminent should show It's good faith by en-
acting a further law giving compensation
20 It's own employees for injury or death
Incurred in its service. 1t Is a reproach
TO us as q nation that in both federal and
state legislation we have afforded less pro-
tection TO public and private employees
than any other industrial country of the
world.
As TO iniunctions.
I also urge that acton be taken along
the line OF the recommendations / nave al
ready made concerning injunctions In la
Dor disputes. No temporary restraining
order should be issued by any court with
out notice; and the petition for a perma-
nent injunction upon which such temper
AIRY restraining order has been issued
should be heard by the court issuing the
same within a reasonable time-say, not
TO exceed a week or whereabouts from the
date when the order was issued. 1t Is
worth considering whether II would not
give greater popular confidence in the inn
partiallty of sentences for contempt IL IT
was required hat the issue should be de-
cided by another judge than the one Is
suing the injunction. except where the
contempt is committed in the presence of
the court, or In other case OF urgency.
| again call attention TO the urgent need
OF amending the interstate law
and especially the anti-trust law along
the lines indicated in my last MESSAGE
The interstate m law should be
amended 50 Ak 10 give railroads the right
To make fra fYip HRFGanHnfG Gt1hAnnt q.
these agreements beng approved by the
Interstate Commerce commission and pub
hshed In all OF their details. The com
mission should also be given the power to
make public and to pass upon the issu-
ance OF all securities hereafter issued by
railroads doing an interstate commerce
business.
A law should be passed providing in eff
feet that when a federal court determines
TO place a common carrier or other public
utility concern under the control OF a re-
Ownership, the attorney general should
have the right to nominate at least one
or the receivers; or else in some other
way the interests of the stockholders
should be consulted, so that the manage
ment may not be wholly redeIivered to
the man or men the failure OF whose policy
may have necessitated the creation Of the
recelVerships. Receiverships should be
used. not TO operate roads. but as speedily
as possible TO pay their debts and return
them TO the proper owners.
Amend Antitrust Law.
In addition to the reasons / have already
urged on your attention, IL has now he
come important that there should he an
amendment of the antitrust law. because
OF the uncertainty as to how this law at
fects combinations among labor men and
armers III the combination has any tend
ency TO restrict interstate All
OF these combinations, If and while exist-
ing for and engaged in the promotion OF
innocent and proper purposes, should be
recognized as legal. As | have repeatedly
pointed out, this anti-trust law was a
most unwlsely drawn statute. 1t was per-
haps inevitable that IN feeling after the
right remedy the first attempts 10 provide
such should be crude; and IL was absolute
~ imperative that some legislation should
be passed TO control, In the interest of the
public, the business use of the enormous
a~ggregations of corporate wealth that are
so marked a feature OF the modern indus
trlal world. But the present antitrust
law, In its construction and has
exemplifed only too well the kind Of iegis-
lation which, under the guise OF being
thoroughly going, is drawn up In such
sweeping form as to become either inef-
fective or else mischievous.
In the modern industrial world combin-
atoms are absolutely necessary; they are
necessary among business men. they are
necessary among laboring men. they are
becoming more and more necessary among
farmers. Some of these combinations are
among the most powerful OF all instru-
ments for ~wrongdoing. Others offer the
only effective way of meeting actual bust
ness needs. II is mischievous and un-
WDoiesOruS 10 keep upon the statute books
unmodified q law, Ike the anti-trust Law.
which, while in practice only partially ef-
fect.vs against vicious combinations has
nevertheless In theory been construed so
as sweepingly to prohibit every combina-
ton for the transaction OF IN siern bust
ness Some real good has resulted from
this law. But the time has come when IL
Is Imperative to modify II. Such modihca-
ton is urgently needed for the sake of the
business men of the country, for the sake
OF the ~wagewokers, and for the sake OF
the farmers. The congress can not afford
to leave II on the statute books In it's
present shape.
Suggests Changes.
1t has now become uncertain how far
this law may involve all labor organiza-
ton and farmers organizations, as well
as all business organ. cations, In conflict
with the law: or. if we secure literal COM
piiance with the law, how far IL may re-
suit in the destruction of the organizations
necessary for the transaction Of modern
business, as well as OF all labor ~organiza-
tons and armer organizations, COM
pleteiy check the wise movement for Sc
curing business cooperation among farm
ers, and put back half a century the prog
Tess OF the movement for the berteruient
OF labor. A bill has been presented In the
congress to remedy this situation. Some
sucn measure as this bill Is needed m the
interest OF all engaged in the Industries
which are essential TO the country's we'll
shape that the bill should take. and the
-. 4 49, a. 49, see go 49,.