The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1908-12-12
LISTEN TO MESSAGE
COMMUNICATION FROM PRESI-
DENT READ TO CONGRESS.
New Laws and Changes in Existing
Statutes Are Among Recon-
mendations Made by the
Chief Executive.

Washington, Dec. 8. President
Roosevelt's message to congress-.
which was read in both houses to-day
contained many important recon-
mendations as to legislation which he
considers urgent.
The financial standing of the coun-
try. the president points out, is at
| present excellent. but there is great
need that the currency commission
! proceed at once to remedy existing de-
| fects.
The president repeats with empha-
sis his views, hitherto expressed, that
! for the good of the country the con-
troll of great corporations, and espe-
cially the railroads, must be placed in
! the hands of the national government
| The Sherman antitrust law he con-
| dennis as positively harmful in it's
workings, urging as a substitute law
which shall expressly permit combina-
| tions which are in the interest of the
public, but shall at the same time give
TO some agency in the national govern
ment full power of control and super
vision over them.
of the country the president urges the
prohibition of child labor, diminution
of women labor, and shortening of
hours of all mechanical labor There
should be, he says, a progressive in
heritance tax on large fortunes.
The matter Of taking care of the
wageworkers, who, under our present
industrial system, become killed, Grip
pied, or worn out as part Of the regu-
lar incidents of a given business, is
gone into at length, and a system of
industrial old-age pensions indorsed.
The president recommends that, be-
ginning with the supreme court, the
salaries of judges be doubled
Demands for legislation made by
certain labor leaders on the last con-
| gress come in for sharp criticism, be-
ing described as unjust and impracti-
cal, and opposed to the real interests
of the workers.
The much-discussed power Of injunc
ton the president considers a great
equitable remedy, which must on no
account he destroyed, though he con-
siders that safeguards should be erect
ed against its abuse. Immediate hear
ings OF cases, following the" issuance
of an injunction, he thinks, would dc
much toward disarming criticism of
tho courts.
Discussing measures necessary for
the proper control of giant corpora
tions operating in defiance of law, the
president says:
"Reai damage has been done by the
| manifold and conflicting interpreta-
tions of the interstate commerce law.
Control over the great corporations do
ing interstate business can be effec.
tive only if it is vested with full power
in an administrative department,
branch of the federal executive, carry
ing out a federal Law; it can
never be effective if a divided respon-
sibility is left in both the states and
the nation; it can never be effective
if left in the hands of the courts to be
decided by lawsuits"
Immediate action toward the preser-
walton of the existing forest> is pat
forward as national duty.
In the opinion of the president, &C
tion by the present session of con-
gress for the improvement of our in
land waterways is imperative. He
recommends the creation of a perma-
nent commission authorized to CO.
| ordinate tho work of all the govern
ment departments relating to water
ways, and to frame and supervise the
execution Of a comprehensive plan.
The immediate institution of postal
savings banks, recommended in previ
Gus messages, is again urged, together
with the establishment of a parcel
post service for the mutual benefit Of
! the farmer and the country store
/ keeper.
High praise is accorded all those
| responsible for the expeditions work
| being done on the Panama canal, and
the extension of the ocean mail act
| of 1891 urged, to the end that Amer
| lean ocean mail lines to the east may
| be established.
Real progress, the president de-
clares, is being made in the Philip
pines, and the outlook is declared
| bright
Steps to maintain and increase the
| present efficiency of the National
| Guard is another recommendation of
the message. The services of we'll
trained army officers with the militia
are shown to have had excellent re-
| suits.
The system of promotion by merit
in the army, displacing the hitherto
prevailing system of seniority, is de-
Tended as vital to the good of the
service.
The message concludes with the
recommendation of large increase in
the navy. 1t is desirable, the presi-
dent says, to complete as soon as pos
sible a squadron of eight battleships
of best existing type.
| a IAadipo Ouesfion