Mexico Missouri message., 1910-09-01

4
lies not In attempting to prevent such
combinations, but In completely controll-
| inG them In the interest Of the public well
fare For that purpose the Federal BIZ
reau Of Corporations is an agency OF the
| hrst Importance, It's power and there
fore it's efficiency, as we'll as that of the
Interstate Commerce Commission, should
/ be largely increased. We have a right to
expect from the Bureau OF Corporations
| and from the Interstate Commerce Com
| mission very high grade OF public serv-
| Ice. We should be as sure OF the proper
| conduct OF interstate railways and the
| proper management OF Interstate bust
/ ness as we are now sure Of the conduct
| and management Of the National banks,
| and we should have as effective super
! vision In one case as In the other. The
| Hepburn act. and the amendment TO that
| act In the shape in which II finally passed
| congress at the last session, represent a
| long step in advance and we must go yet
further.
There is widespread belief among
! our people that, under the methods OF
| making tariffs which have hitherto OBJ
| tanned. the special interests are too in
| fiuential Probably this is true OF both
| the big interests and the little interests.
| These methods have put a premium on
| selhshness and naturally the selfish big
| interests have gotten more than the sell
! fish small interests. The duty of congress
| Is TO provide a method by which the In
/ terest Of the whole people shall be all
| that receives consideration. To this end
| there must be an expert tarin commits
/ sion, wholly removed from the possibility
| OF political pressure or Of improper busi
ness influence. Such a commission can
| find out the real difference between cost
| Of production, which is mainly the differ
| ence Of labor cost here and abroad. AS
! fast as its recommendations are made,
believe In revising one schedule at a time.
| A general revision Of the tarin almost in
| evitably leads to log rolling, and the sub
ordination OF the general public interest
to local and special interests
The absence OF effective state. and
especially National. restraint upon unfair
money getting has tended TO create
small class OF enormously wealthy and
economically powerful men, whose chief
object is to hold and increase their power.
The prime need is TO change the condi-
lions which enable these men TO acCumu-
late power which It is not for the general
welfare that they should hold or exercise.
| We grudge no man fortune which rep
resents his own power and sagaCity, when
exercised with entire regard to the well
fare of his fellows. But the fortune must
| be honorably obtained and well used. II
Is not even enough that It should have
been gained without doing damage to the
| community. We should permit 1t to be
gained only so long as the gaining rep
resents benefit to the community. This,
/ know, implies a policy of far more
active governmental interference with so
Clal and economic conditions in this coun-
try than We have yet had. but l think we
| have got to face the fact that such an
| increase in governmental control is now
| necessary.
Income and Inheritance Taxes.
No man should receive a dollar unless
that dollar has been fairly earned. Every
dollar rapei,vaH elpr11T a HO1lar'G
worth Of service rendered The really
big fortune. the swollen fortune, by the
mere fact OF its size, acquires qualities
which dinerentiate II in kind as well as
In degree from what is possessed by men
4 Of relatively small means. Therefore 1
believe in a graduated income tax on big
fortunes, and in another tax which is far
more easily collected and far more eff
fective-a graduated inheritance tax on
big fortunes, properly safeguarded
against evasion, and increasing rapidly
in amount with the size of the estate.
The people Of the United States suffer
from periodical financial panics to a de-
gree substantially unknown among the
other nations which approach us in finan-
cial strength. There is no reason we
should suffer what they escape. 1t is Of
profound Importance that our financial
system should be promptly Investigated,
and so thoroughly and effectively re-
vised as to make It certain that hereafter
our currency will no longer fail at criu-
cal times to meet our needs
1t is hardly necessary for me to repeat
that believe in an efficient army and
navy large enough to secure for us
abroad that respect which is the surest
guarantee Of peace. Justice and fair deal
ing among nations rest on principles
Identical with those which control Justice
and fair dealing among the individuals of
| which nations are composed with the
vital ayRenfiOp zach must do
| its own partin international police work.
| National friendships, like those between
men, must be founded on respect as we'll
| as on liking, on forbearance as we'll as
upon trust. In all this It is peculiarly the
duty of the United States to set good
| example.
OF conservation I shall speak more at
| length elsewhere. Conservation means
| development as much as 1t does protec-
| ton. recognize the right and the duty
| of this generation to develop and use the
| natural resources Of our land, but I do
| not recognize the right to waste them, or
| to rob- by wasteful use, the generations
| that come after us. The natural resources
| must be used for the benefit of all our
! people and not monopolized for the bene-
| At Of the few. That Is one of the funda-
| mental reasons why the special interests
| must be driven out Of politics. OF all the
| questions which can come before this
| Nation, short OF the actual preservation
of It's existence in great war, there is
none which compares in Importance with
| the great central task OF leaving this
| land even a better land for our Ssscen-
| dants than It is for rs, and training them
| into a better race to inhabit the land and
! pass II on. Conservation is great moral
| issue, for It involves the patriotic duty
| OF insuring the safety and continuance
| OF the Nation. Let me add that the
! health and vitality of our people are at
least as well worth conserving as their
forests. waters, lands. and minerals, and
| that in this grSat work the National gov
eminent must bear a most important
| part.
I have spoken elsewhere also of the
great task which lies before the farm
ers OF the country to get for themselves
| and for their wives and children not only
the benefits OF better farming. but also
those OF better business methods and
better conditions OF life on the farm. The
| burden of this great task will fall, as IT
should, mainly upon the great organiza-
lions OF the farmers themselves. am
| lad Mill haItAUa thaU Trya11