The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-06

competitive bids, with royalties upon the coal mined, with not more than 2,500 acres of surface leased to any one lessee; that government phosphate lands be similarly treated, but with power retained to regulate or prohibit exportation; that oil prospectors on government lands be licensed for two years. and leases granted upon rental and royalties and under proper re- strictions as to husbanding the supply and preventing monopolistic combina- tions; that water power sites be leased upon bids, and suitable rentals. with provisions against monopolistic combi- nations.
 Of pensions. the President states that ''care should be exercised not to go to classes of persons who may. at this late day, from a mere mercenary motive. seek to obtain some legal re- lat,on with an old veteran now totter- ing on the brink of the grave.'
 Referring to the facts that one-half of the privately timber of the country is held by 200 individuals and corporations and that there is very extensive interownership of stock. the President says that this might lead to a combination for the maintenance of a price that would be very detrimental to the public interest. and would create the necessity of removing all tariff obsta cles to the free importations of lumber from other countries"
 With regard to the eight-hour law. fhc praSidopt ronor,n,ondc that sthe present act be enlarged by providing that public works be construed to include not only buildings and work upon public ground. but also ships. armor. and large guns when manufac- tured in private yards or factories, but that the President be authorized ito declare an emergency in special cases" and in such cases ito permit the payment by the Government of extra compensation for the time work ed each day ip excess of eight hours"
 On 'worknNn's compensation. he does not commit himself but says: terest now felt in the United States in a system of compensation for in dustr'al accidents to supplant our pres ent thoroughly unsatisfactory system of employers liability Ca subject the importance of which Congress has al- of commission). I recommend that the International Coneress on Indus trial Insurance be invited to hold its meeting in 1913 in Washington. and that an appropriation of s10.000 be trade to cover the necessary expenses of organizing and carrying on the meeting.
 o,.I %N porations in the district of Columbia. he expresses a hope that Congress will entrust the District commission CTS with powers similar to those of the public utilities commission of New York or similar boards in Massachu- setts."
 Tn the matter of civil service retire ment, the President declares that the simplest and most independent solution of the problem for both employe and the Government is compulsory saw ings arrangement. the employe to set aside from his salary sum sufficient, with the help of a liberal rate of in- terest from the Government. to pur- chase an adequate annuity for him on retirement. this accumulation to be inalienably his and claimable if he leaves the service before reaching the retirement age or by his heirs in case of death" But he would further pro- vide that, in the cases of employees 'who are now so advanced in age that their personal contributions will not be sufficient to create their annuities before reaching the retirement age", the "annuities shall be paid out of the salaries appropriated for the positions vacated by retirement. and that the difference between the annu:ties thus granted and the salaries may be used for the mploymnt of efficint clerks at the lower grades"
 sonable appropriation to enable the Interstate Commerce Commission to proceed with due dispatch to the val uation of all railroads"
 He does not recommend any amend ment to the antitrust law. because:
 The existing legislation with refer ence to the regulation of corpOrat :ons and the restraint of their business has reached a point where we can stop for while and witness the effect of the vigorous execution of the laws on the statute books in restraining the abuses which certainly did exist and which reused the public to demand re- form.
 There will be some disappointment over the non-committal character of the Presidents references to several important matters, notably the tariff. and workmen's compensation.
 
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