Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-28
PROD FOR CONGRESS
President Roosevelt Presents
Another Message Requesting
Legislation
STRENGTHEN ANTITRUST LAWS
Urges Measures to Prevent Abuse Of
injunction - Warns Against Pluto
cratic and sociaIistic Pitfalls Con.
sress Gives Message But Slight At
tention.

|
Washington, April 2S.-Another mes
sage to congress, urging the enactment
Of needed legislation as desired by the
president, was presented in both house!
1 last evening, but congress was too bus,
! to give attention to the document II
| the senate the reading was only com
menced when adjournment was taken
| The message arrived late in the day
and the house was so tied up under it.
new rules that It could not officially
receive the message, while the senate
was in the midst Of the consideration
Of the naval appropriation bin under
the ten minute rule when the docu-
| ment reached that body.
Unlike the house. the senate per-
united the formal presentation Of the
message but 1t could not at that time
be laid before the senate, and by the
time the naval bill had been disposed
Of the hour was so late and the attend
ance so small that no attempt was
made to read the document. The first
few lines only had been pronounced by
the clerk when it was suggested tina,
the further reading should be post
poned until today. This suggestion
was adopted, and the senate ad-
journed.
The message In part follows:
ITO the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives: In my message to the
congress Of March Is, 1908. outlined
certain measures which believe the
majority of our countrymen desire to
have enacted into law at this time
These measures do not represent by
any means all that would like to see
done If I thought 1t possible. but they
do represent what believe can now
be done II an earnest effort toward this
end is made.
'Since, wrote this message an en-
ployers' liability law has been enacted.
which, 1t Is true, comes short of what
ought to have been done, but which
does represent q real advance. Appar-
emily there is good ground to hope that
there will be further legislation pro-
viding for recommending all employees
who suffer injury while engaged in the
public service; that there will be a
child-labor law enacted for the District
Of Columbia; that the waterways COM
mission will be continued with suf-
ficient financial support to increase the
effectiveness Of its preparatory work;
that steps will be taken to provide for
such investigation into tariff condi-
lions. by the appropriate committee of
the house Of representatives and by
government experts in the executive
service as will secure the full informa-
ton necessary for intelligently revising
the tariff at the hands Of the congress
elected next fall. and, finally, that fin
ancial legislation will be en-
acted providing for the tenn
porary measures for meeting any trou-
BILE that may arise in the next year or
two, and for a commission Of experts
who shall thoroughly investigate the
whole matter, both here and in the
great commercial countries abroad, so
as to be able to recommend legislation
which will put our financial system on
an efficient and permanent basis. It
Is much to be wished that one feature
Of the financial legislation of this ses-
sion should be the establishment OF
postal savings banks.
'There seems, however, much doubt
about two Of the measures have rec
ommended:, The measure to do away
with abuse Of the power of injunction
and the measure or group of measures
to strengthen and render both more
efficient and more wise the control of
the national government over the great
corporations doing an interstate BUSH
ness.
First, as to the power of injunction
and Of punishment for contempt. In
contempt cases, save where immediate
action is imperative, trial should be
before another Judge. AS regards in
functions, some such legislation as that
have previously recommended, should
be enacted They are blind who fail
to realize the extreme bitterness
caused among large bodies of worthy
citizens by the use that has been re-
peatedly made of the power of the in
junction in labor disputes. Those in
whose judgment we have most right to
trust are of opinion that while most Of
the complaint against the use Of the
Injunction is unwarranted, yet that it
is unquestionably true that in num-
Der of cases, this power has been used
to the grave injury of the rights of la