The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-01-31
President Roosevelt Sends
Special Message TO Con-
gress Of United States.
FAvoRS LABOR
Makes Number of Recommen-
dations and Especially a
Liability Law.
ny Associated press.J

A special message by President
Roosevelt to Congress on the sub
iect of an employers liability act
and injunctions in labor cases, was
read In the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatiyes today and listened to
with intense interest by the mem
bers. In part the message is as fol-
lows:
To the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives:
The recent decision Of the Supreme
Court In regard to the employers lla-
blltty act, the experience of the In
terstate Commerce Commission and
OF the Department of Justice in en-
forcing the interstate commerce and
antitrust laws and the grayely sig-
niticant attitude toward the law and
its administration recently adopted
by certain heads of great corporations
render II desirable that there should
be additional legislation us regards
certain of the relations between labor
and capital, and between the great
corporations and the public
The Supreme Court has decided the
employers liability law to be uncon-
stttutional because its terms apply TO
employees engaged wholly in inter-
state commerce as well as to employ
ees engaged in interstate commerce
By a substantial majority the Court
holds that the Congress has power 20
deal with the question in so far as
interstate commerce Is concerned.
AS regards the employers liability
law, advocate its immediate re-
enactment, limiting its scope so that 1t
shall apply only to the class of cases
as to which the Court says II can con-
stitutionally APPLY, but strengthen
ing its provisions within this scope.
Interstate employment being thus COW
cred by an adequate national law, the
Held of intrastate employment will be
4 left to the action of the several States.
With this clear definition of RESPONSE
hility the States will undoubtedly give
TO the performance of their duty with
in their field the consideration the
Importance of the subject demands.
i also very urgently advise that
comprehensive act be passed provid-
ing for compensation by the Govern
ment to all employees injured in the
Government service. Under the pres
ent law an Injured workman in the
employment of the Government has
no remedy, and the entire burden of
the accident falls on the helpless man,
his wife, and his young children.
This Is an outrage. It Is n matter of
humiliation to the Nation that there
should not be on our statute books
provisions to meet and partially 10
atone for cruel misfortune when it
comes upon man through no fault
of his own while faithfully serving
the public. In no other prominent
industrial country in the world could
such gross injustice occur; for almost
all civilized nations have enacted leg
silntion embodying the complete
recognition of the principle which
plpaces tho entire trade risk for in
dustrial accidents (excluding. of
course, accidents due to willful mis-
conduct by the employee) on the in
dustry as represented by the employ
er. which in this case is the Govern
ment. In all these countries the prin-
ciplc applies to the Government just
as much as to the private employer.
Under no circumstances should the
injured employee or his surviving de-
pendents be required to bring suit
against the Government, nor should
there befthe requirement that In or
der to insure recovery negligence in
some form on the part of the Govrn-
ment should be shown. Our PROPOSE
tion is not to confer right of action
upon the Government employee, but
to secure him suitable provision
against injuries received in the course
of his employment The burden of
the trade risk should he placed upon
the Government Exactly as the
workingman is entitled to his wages.
so he should be entitled to indemnity
for the injuries sustained in the nat
ural course of his labor. The rates
of compensation and the regulations
for Its payment should be specified in
the law. and the machinery for deter
mining the amount to be paid should
in each case be provided in such man
ner that the employee is properly
represented without expense to him.
In other words, the compensation
should be paid automatically, while
the application of the law in the first
instance should he vested in the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor
The law should apply to all laborers,
mechanics. and other civilian en-
ployees OF the Government of the
United States. including those In the
service OF the Panama Canal Com
mission and Of the insular govern
ments.
The laws must in the future be ad
ministered as they are now being ad-
ministered, so that the Department
Of Justice may continue to he, what
II now Is. in very fact the Department
Of Justice, where so far as our abil-
it, permits justice Is meted out with
an even hand 10 great and small. rich
and poor. weak and strong More
over, there should he no delay IN sup
plementing the laws now on the
statute hooks by the enactment OF
further legislation as outlined in the
message sent to the Congress on its
assembling. Under the existing laws
much. very much, as been actually
accomplished during the past six
years. and Il has been shown by
actual experience that they can he
enforced against the weaithiest cor
poration and the richest and most
powerful manager or manipuiator OF
that rornoraffnu ae y-fgorotfciv and