The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-04-02
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 Rscommen-
dations-For Permanent
Waterways Commission.

Washington. March 25.-Emphatically
urging action on the important legisla-
tive matters before 1t, including tariff
revision, the Sherman antitrust law,
the currency measures and the labor
problems, President Roosevelt today
sent to congress another special mes
sage. "a
The president devotes most of his at
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: .u
I 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
not all Of the matters tbIiFFisfq have m0T been
introduced into one or the other Of the
W 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 SEES
sion. In my message at the opening Of the
present session, and, Indeed, in various
messages to previous congresses, / hav
these measures.
Child labor should be prohibited through
OUT the nation. At least a model child-
OF Columbia. 1t is unfortunate that in the
one place solely dependent upon congress
for It's legislation there should be no law
whatever to protect children by forbid
din or regulating their labor.
l renew my recommendation for the I'm
mediate re-enactment Of an employers
liability law, drawn to conform to the re-
cent decision or the supreme court. With
In the limits Indicated by the court. the
law should be made thorough and com
prehensiVe, and the protection It affords
should embrace every class ~ employee 10
WnlCh the power OF the COnRraaG con Nv
tend.
In addition TO a liability law protecting
the employees OF common carriers, the gov
ernment should show its good faith by en-
acting q further law giving compensation
TO It's own employees for Injury or death
incurred in Its service. 1t is a reproach
state legislation we have afforded less pro-
lection to public and private employees
tnan any other industrial country OF the
world.
AS TO !niunotions.
I also urge that acton be taken along
the line OF the recommendations 1 nave al
ready made containing lnjunctions in la
o order ei sSoaid oe t fSI BS any d re%s5Fa n,tSs
out notice; and me 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
| WOkL COMMUNICATING Wn6InGr tt would NOT
give greater popular confidence in the i'm
Partially Of sentences for contempt IL it
was required that the issue should be de-
cloed py another judge than the one Is
contempt Is committed In the presence of
the court. or in other case of urgency.
l again call attention to the urgent need
OF amending the Interstate commerce law
and especially the antitrust law along
the lines indicated In my last message.
The Interstate law should be
amended so as to give railroads the right
TO make traffic agreements, subject TO
these agreements being approved by the
Interstate Commerce commission and pub
hahed In all OF their details. The com
mission SHOULD also be given the power to
make public and to pass upon the iss1-
ance of all securities hereafter issued by
railroads doing an interstate IN
business.
A law should be passed providing (, ef-
feet that when a federal court determines
TO place a common carrier or other public
utility concern under the control Of a re-
ceVershtp. 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 redelIyered TO
the mar or men the failure % whose policy
may have necessitated the creation Of the
receiverships. Recetverships should be
used. not to operate roads, but as speedily
a. possible to a their debts n return
them to the proper owners.
Amend Anti Trust Law.
In addition to the reasons I lave already
urged on your attention, II has now be-
come important that there should be an
amendment OF the antitrust law. because
OF the uncertainty as to how this law az
tects combinations among labor men and
farmers, II the combination has any tend
ency to restrict interstate commerce. All
or these combinations, II and while exist
ing for and engaged In the promotion of
innocent and proper purposes, should be
| FannOnIzn1 no la0aI A. L
pointed out, this antitrust law was q
most unwisely drawn statute. 1t was per
APPS inevitable that in feeling after the
right remedy the first Attempts to nrovide
such should be crude; and IL was absolute
ly imperative that some legislation should
be passed to control, In the interest Of the
public, the business use OF the enormous
aggregatlons or corporate wealth that are
so marked a feature OF the modern Indus
trial world. But the present antl-trust
law, In its construction and working, has
latton which, under the guise OF being
thoroughly going, Is drawn up In such
sweeping form as to become either lref-
tectiVe or,else mischieVous.
In the modern industrial world combin-
atoms are absolutely necessary: they are
necessary among business men, they are
necessary among labortng men, they are
becoming more and more necessary among
farmers. Some OF these combinations are
among the most powerful OF all instru-
ments for wronBdoing. Others offer the
Ouly cIIeCIlVe way OI meeting ac(unl bust
ness needs. It Is mischievous and I'M
wholesome to keep upon the statute books
unmoditted a law. like the antitrust law.
which. while In practice only partially ef-
tective against vicious combinations, has
nevertheless In theory been construed so
as sweepiugly to prohibit every combina-
ton for the transaction OF modern busi-
ness. Some real good has resulted from
this law. But the time has come when it
IL imperative 10 modify 1t. 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 1t on the statute books IN its
present shape.
Suggests Changes.
II has now become uncertain how far
this law may involve all labor organiza-
ton and farmers organizations, as we'll
as all business organizations, in conflict
with the aw: or. II we secure literal COM
pliance with the law, how far II may re-
suit in the destruction of the organizations
necessary for the transaction OF modern
business, as we'll as Of all labor organlza-
tions and farmers organizations, com
pletely check the wise movement for Sc
curing business cooperation among farm
erS, and put back half a century the prog
ress Of the movement for the betterment
Of labor. A bill has been presented In the