Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-28

Congress received yesterday afternoon
from the President a special message
dealing with certain measures which he
laws before the close Of the session. Ac-
companying the message was a copy of
a report submitted to the mayor and
city council of Boston relating to the
methods of bidders for municipal con-
tracts. The recommendations of the COM
mission are included in the message,
which is as follows:
To the Senate and House Of Representa-
tatives:
7 In my message to the Congress of
March %. 1908. outlined certain meas
ures 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. it possible.
but they do represent what I believe can
now be done If an earnest effort toward
this end Is made.
Since I wrote this message an employ
ers' liability law has been enacted which,
have been done, but which does represent
a real advance. Apparently there is good
ground to hope that there will be further
legislation providing for recompensing ali
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 commits
sion will be continued with SUFFICIENT
financial support to increase the effective
ness of its preparatory work; that steps
will be taken to provide for such investi-
cation into tariff conditions. by the ap-
propriate committee of the House Of Rep
resentatives and the government experts
in the executive service. as will secure
the full information necessary for imme-
-diats action in revising the tariff at the
hands Of the Congress elected next fall;
and finally. that financial legislation will
be enacted providing for temporary meas
ures for meeting any trouble that may
commission Of experts who shall thorough.
ly 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 permanen,
basis.
Legislation Desired.
1t is much to be wished that one tea
ture of the financial legislation Of this
| session should be the establishment of
postal savings banks. Ample appropria-
| ton should be made to enable the inter-
state commerce commission to carry out
the very important feature of the Hep
burn law which gives to the commission
supervision and control over the account
| ing systems of the railways. Failure to
| provide means which will enable the COM
mission to examine the books of the rail-
ways would amount to an attack on the
/ law at its most vital point. and would
benefit, as nothing else could benefit
| those railways which are corruptly or in
| competently managed. Forest reserves
should be established throughout the Ap-
palachian mountain region wherever II
1 can be shown that they will have a di.
rect and zeal connection with the con-
servation and improvement of navigable
rivers.
There seems, however, much doubt
about two of the n,sasures have recon.
mended: the measure to do away with
abuse of the power OF injunction and tbs
measure or group Of measures tc
strengthen and render both more ef.
ficient and more wise the control by the
national government over the great cor.
porations doing an interstate business.
First. as to the power OF injunction and
Of punishment for contempt. In contemp
Il cases. save where immediate action Is I'm
perative, the trial should be before an