Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-12-17


torial columns Of the Burlington Free
prsss;-
Inasmuch Is the annual message sent
to Congress BY President Roosevelt yes
terday is the last document Of this charac-
ter which he will issue before retiring /
from the White House unusual interest at
iaches to his ufferances. Il Il distinctly
Rooseveltian In character and what the
student Of Affairs would expect. X lacks
something OF the .aggressiveness along
new lines that has characterized some OF
the presidents former messages 70 the
legislative branch Of our general govern
ment, but IL is nevertheless replete with
excellent recommendations.
President Roosevelt says that our cur
rency system Is imperfect and i is earn
estly to be hoped the currency commits
sion VIII be able to propose thoroughly
good system which win do away with the
existing defects. From July l, 1901 to
September 80. 1908, he amount Of
money in circulation increased by $780,
e91, 30e.
The president believes II is worse than
folly to attempt to prohibit all corporate
combinations as Is done BY the Sherman
antitrust law, and be fav0rs . measure
that will expressly permit combinations
which are in the interest Of the public,
subject TO government control.
The railways Of the country should be
pat completely under the Interstate Com
merce commission and removed from the
domain of the anti-t law.
Telegraph and telephone companies do
ing an interstate business shonld be put
under the Jurisdiction Of the Interstate
Commerce commission.
The more farsighted corporations are
themselves coming to recognize the un-
wisdom Of violent hostility they have dis
played during the past few years to regu-
lation and control BY the national gov
eminent.
There should be regulation by the ma
tional government Of the great interstate
corporations. including . simple method
OF account keeping, publicity, supervi-
sion Of the issue OF securities. abolition Of
rebates and Of special privileges.
There should be short time franchises
for all corporations engaged in public
business; including the corporations
which get power from water rihhts-
There should be national as well as
state guardianship OF mines and forests.
AZ far as possible q frank recognition Of
the advantages conferred By machinery,
organization and division of labor, ac-
companied by an effort to bring about
larger share in the ownership BY wage
, worker OF railway, mill aud factory. In
, farming. this simply means that We wish
to see the farmer own his own land; we do
not wish to zee the farms so large that
they become the property Of absentee land
lords who farm them by tenants, nor YET
50 small that the farmer becomes like a
European peasant.
Postal savings banks will make il easy
for the poorest to keep their savings in
absolute safety.
The regulation OF the national high.
ways must be such that they shah serve
all people with equal justice.
Corporate finances must be super
vised 80 a. to make il far safer than al
Z present for the man Of small means to in
rest bis money in stocks.
There must be prohibition Of child Ia
Dor. diminution Of woman labor, shorten
ing OF hours Of all mechanical labor
stock watering should be prohibited, and
stock gambling 50 far as possible dis
conraged.
: !, There should be a progressive inheri
: tance tax on large fortunes.
industrial education should be encour
: aged.
g As TAR az possible we should tighten tn
burden OF taxation on the small man.
1t Is eminently right that the natioi
should fix the terms upon which tn
I great fortunes are inherited. They rare
z ~ do good and they often do harm 4
those who inherit them in their entirety
y Congress should provide ample protec
& tion for wage workers.
. The Congress should without furthe
delay pass a model employers liabilit
law for the District of Columbia.
=
ton made in 9 previous message tha
= hall-holidays be granted during summe
to all wagsworkers In government EN-
= ploy.
y The president also renews the recon
= mendation that the principle OF the eighl
hour day should as rapidly and Is far 9
practicable be extended to the entir
work being carried on BY the government
y the present law should be amended to en-
~ brace contracts on those public work
8 which the present wording of the as
- seems to exclude.
3 The president urges upon Congress II
q duty of increasing the totally inadequai
salaries now given to our judges sayin
that beginning with the supreme coui
the judges should have their salariI
doubled.
~ He condemns those labor leaders WI
~ nave violently assailed the Judicial ~
re tenn.
x The forests Of this country should /
re- saved and conserved.
The improvement Of inland railways
q urged and the plan which is held
sr- promise the best and quickest results
that Of q permanent commission autho
lied to coordinate the work Of all Il
government departments relating to W
r. terways, and TO frame and supervise Il
PIE execution of comprehensive plan.
3 The use of denatured alcohol, as Il
re tended. is making q fair degree Of pro
ne ress and is entitled to further encourag
a. ment and support from the Congress.
De The pure food legislation has alreas
m worked benefit difficult to overestimai
ep 1t has been the presidents purpo
yer from the beginning Of the present admit
'ur istration to take the Indian service cor
- pleteiy out Of the atmosphere Of polite
ar activity, and there has been steady pro
reaa tnward that end