The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-04-02
ROOSEVELT AGAIN
PETITIONS CONGRESS
President Sends Special Mes
sage to Congress, Urging
Legislation.
POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS
On This and Other Important Matters.
Executive Renews His Recommen.
dations-For Permanent
waterways Commission.

Waterways Commission
Washington. March 25.-Emphatically
urging action on the important legisla-
tive matters before it, including tariff
revision. the Sherman antitrust law,
the currency measures and the labor
problems. President Roosevelt today
sent to congress another special mes
The president devotes most of his at
tention to the proposed amendment of
n Sherman antitrust law, making
some important suggestions as to its
revision.
The message In full follows:
To the Senate and House OF Representa-
tives:
1 call your attention to certain measures
by the congress before the close OF the
present session. There is ample time for
their consideration. As regards moat il
introduced into one or the other Of the
two houses, and 1t Is not toe much to
nope that action will be taken one way or
.hs otner on these bills at the present ses-
sion. In my message at the opening of the
present session, and, indeed, in various
messages to previous congresses, l have
repeatedly suggested action on most of
these measures.
Child labor should be prohibited through
OUT the nation. AT least a model child
Jill siloulu De passed Tor the District
OF columbia. 1t Is unfortunate that in the
one place solely dependent upon congress-
Tor It's legislation there should be no law
whatever to protect children by forbid
olng or regulating their labor.
! renew my recommendation for the Inn
mediate re-enactment of an employers
laanlll1y law, drawn to conform to the re-
GEM. decision of the supreme court. With
IN the limits Indicated by the court. the
law should be made thorough and com
pIenenslve; end the protection it affords
SlloQlU eI1DT Se every rlaGl ~
tend. -
In addition to a liability law protecting
the employees of common carriers. the gov.
eminent should show its good faith by en-
acting a further law giving COMPENSATION
70 its own employees for injury or death
incurred IN Its service. 1t is a reproach
70 us as a nation that In both federal and
STATE legislation we nave afforded less pro
.se.lon 10 public and private employees
than any other Industrial country OF the
world. 80
As to Injunctions.
I also urge that acton be taken a1o,e
the line of the recommendations have al.
ready made concerning injunctions in la
Dor disputes. No temporary restraining
order should be issued by any court with.
OUT hotce; and the petition for a perma-
heht ln1unctlon upon which such tempor-
airy restraining order has been issued
should be heard by the court issuing r,e
same within a reasonable time-say, not
TO exceed a week or thereabouts from the
cate when the order was issued. IT IA
worth considering whether il wo,,ld not
give greater popular confidence in the i'm
paftiaHty. OF sentences for contempt If If
was required that the issue should he de-
clded by another Judge than the one Ia
sung the Injunction, except where the
contempt Is committed In the presence nf
the court, or In other case of urgency.
| again call attention to the urgent need
OF amending the interstate law
ana especially the antitrust law along
the INES indicated In my last message
me Interstate Law should he
amenoed SO as to give railroads the right
to make traffic agreements s,,hAnet -
these ag reements being approved nv tho
interstate Commerce commission and NH
Ashed In all of their details. The com
make public and to pass upon fhe is.IDo
ance or all securities hereafter issued Nv
rallroads doing an Interstate
A law should be passed proytdIne IN 81
feet that when a federal court determines
70 pace a common carrier or other public
uene concern under the control Of a re-
GeiVershlp, the attorney general should
nave the right to nominate 1T least one
OF the receivers: or else in some other
way the interests of the stockholdara
should be consulted, so that the msnapa9
ment may not be wholly redeliyered 70
tne man or men the faiiure of whose policy
receiverships Receiverships should be
used. not to operate roads, bur as speedily
as possible to pay their debts and return
them 10 the proper owners.
N"eno HntI- rust la w.
In addition to the reasons have alraadv
urged on your attention. il has now he,
come important that there should he an
amendment Of the anti-trust law, because
% tne uncertainty as to how this law ar
Iects combinations among labor men ana
m If the combination has any tend1
ency to restrict interstate All
of these conbina tons, IL and while axistl
Ing for and engaged in the pronottom ~
,nnoesnt ana proper purposes. should be
recognized as legal, AS I have repeatedly
pointed out, this antitrust law was a
most unwisely drawn statute. 1t was per-
maps inevitable that in feeling after tha
right remedy the first attempts to nroyida
such should be crude; and 1t was absolute
~ imperative that some legislation should
be passed to control, In the interest Of rha
pubic, the business use of the enormous
aggregation of corporate wealth that are
SO marked a feature of the modern indus
trlal world. But the present anti-trust
law, In Its construction and working. has
exempNfed only too well the kline of iegis-
latlon which, under the guise of hejno
thoroughly going, is drawn up in such
sweeping form as to become either inef-
receive or else mischievous.
In the modern Industrial world cophin-
atlons are absolutely necessary: they are
necessary among business men, they are
necessary among laboring men, they are
farmers. Some Of these tons arc
among the most powerful Of all Instr,,-
ments for wrongdoing. Others offer the
only effective way of meeting actual b,,sts.
ness needs. 1t Is mischievous and I'M
wholesome to keep upon the statute book
unmodlfed a law. Ike the antitrust law
which, while in practice only partially ef.
fective against vicious combinations. has
nevertheless in theory been construed az
as sweepingly to prohibit every combina.
ton for the transaction Of modern bust
ness. Some real good has resulted from
tbs law. But the time has come when II
Is imperative 70 modify 1t. Such modlfca
ton Is urgently needed for the sake Of the
business men of the country, for the SAX
OF the wagewokers. and for the sake OF
the The congress can not AFFORD
to cave it on the statute books In Il!
present shape.
Suggests Changes.
1t has now become uncertain how fal
this law may involve all labor organiza.
ton and organizations, as wei
as all business organizations. In conflc
with the law: or. II we secure literal com
pliance with the law, how far 1t may re
suit in the destruction Of the organization.
necessary for the transaction Of modern
business. as well as Of all labor ~organiza
tons and farmers organizations, com
pieteiy check the wise movement for sc
curing business cooperation among farm
ers, and put back half a century the prog
ress OF the movement for the bettermen
OF labor. A bill has been presented in tn
congress to remedy this situation. Som
such measure as this bill Is needed in tn