Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-03-26
InjunctiOns Against Unions Without
Notice Should Be Prohibited.
TRAFFIC AGREEMENTS NECESSARY
Railroads Should Be Permitted to
Make Them Under Regulations.
ANTITRUST LAW TOO BROAD
In It's Present shape II Permits
Destruction of Organizations
Necessary to Transaction
of Business.

WASHINGTON, March - A special
message from the president was read in
both houses of congress soon after con-
vening today and in both It was closely
followed. In the house the declaration
that the time had come for revision of
the tariff ELECTED handclapplng on the
part Of the democratic members Demo
cratic approval also was given by way OF
pounding desks to the suggestion that
congress could with advantage forthwith
remove the tariff on wood pulp with a
corresponding reduction on paper made
from wood pulp.
The republicans waited and confined
the applause to the message as whole
In the senate the message was received
without comment OF any kind
stiIl Time TO Act.
The president said
Il call your attention to certain measures
as to which l think there should be action
by the congress before the close of the
present season. There is ample time for
their consideration. As regards most II
not all the matters bills have been intro
duced into one or the other of the two
houses, and is It not too much to hope that
action win be taken one way or the other
on these bills at the present session. 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.
"Chld labor should be prohibited through
out the nation. Al least model child
labor bill should be passed for the District
OF Columbia. 1t is unfortunate that in
the one place solely dependent upon con-
gress for it's legislation there should be no
law whatever to protect children by for
bidding or regulating their labor.
II renew my recommendation for the inn
mediate reenactment of an employers la
bilty law, drawn to conform to the recent
decision of the supreme court. Within The
limits indicated by the court, the law should
be made thorough and comprehensive. anu
the protection 1t affords should embrace
every class of employee to which the power
Of the congress can extend.
"In addition to a liability law protecting
the employees of common carriers, the
government should show its good faith by
enactng a further law giving compensa-
ton to its own employees for injury or
death incurred in it's service. II is a re-
proach to us as nation that in both
federal and state legislation we have af-
forded less protection 20 public and private
employees than any other Industrial coun-
try Of the world.
Labor InjunetIOns.
II also urge that action be taken along
the line of the recommendations l have
already made concerning injunctions in
labor disputes. No temporary restraining
order should be issued by any court without
notice; and the petition for a permanent
injunction upon which such temporary res
training order has been Issued should be
heard by the court issuing the same within
reasonable time-say. not to exceed a
week or the-eabouts from the date when the
order was issued. 1t is worth considering
whether It would not give greater popular
confidence in the impartlality OF sentences
for contempt IL IL was required that the
issue should be decided by another Judge
than the one issuing the injunction. except
where the contempt Is committed in tho
presence OF the court. or In other case of
urgency.
Il 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 commerce law should be amended
so as to give railroads the right to make
traffic agreements, subjects 10 these agree
ments being approved by the Interstate
Commerce commission and published I'm all
OF their details. The commission should also
be given the power TO make public and to
pass upon the Issuance OF all securities here
after issued by railroads doing an inter-
state commerce business.
"a law should be passed providing in
effect that when federal court determines
to place common carrier or other public
utility concern under the control OF a re-
ceivership the attorney general should
have the right to nominate at least one of
the receivers, or else in some other way
the interests OF the stockholders should be
consulted, so that the management may
not be wholly redelivered TO the man or
men the failure OF whose policy may have
necessitated the creation of the receiver
ship. Receivershlps should be used. not TO
operate roads. but as speedily as possible
TO pay their debts and return them 20 the
proper owners.
Anti-TruSt Amendment.
TN addition to the reasons / have al
ready urged on your attention It has now
become important that there should be an
amendment Of the antitrust law. because
of the uncertainty as to how this law af-
fects combinations among labor men and
farmers. II the combination has any ten
dency to restrict interstate commerce. All
OF these combinations. II and while existing
| for and engaged IT. the promotion OF inno-
cent and proper purposes. should be recog-
| nlzed as legal. As l have repeatedly
pointed out. this antitrust law was a most
| unwisely drawn statute. II was perhaps
| inevitable that in feeling after the rght
remedy the first attempts 10 provide sucA
should be crude ard 1t was absolutely inn
perative that some legislation should ba
/ passed to control, in the interest Of the
public. the business use Of the enormous
Aggregations OF corporate wealth that are
| so marked a feature Of the modern indus.
trial world. But the present antitrust law,
/ IN its construction and working, has ex.
| cmpiified only too well the kind Of leefs'a