Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1916-12-07
PRESIDENT WILSON
WORD TO CONGRESS
NATIONS HEAD READS MESSAGE
DEALING CHIEFLY WITH
RAILWAY LEGISLATION.
AID INTERSTATE COMMERCE
Holds Freight Rates May Be lncreas'
ed to Meet Results Of Adamson
Law-Thanks Congress for
lts Cooperation.

Washington. = President Wilson's
address at the opening of the SEES
sion of congress Tuesday was wholly
devoted to democratic subjects, pri-
cipally the problem of railway leg
islation.
ators and representatives assembled
in joint session, President Wilson, in
accordance with the custom he be-
gan at the opening of his term read
his address from the clerks desk.
The president not only renewed his
recommendation for legislation to
prevent a nationwide strike or lock-
out before there has been opportu-
nifty for investigation, but defended
it against the attack Of organized Ia
Dor as nothing arbitrary or unjust
and the unsuitable safeguarding by
society of the necessary processes of
it's very life"
Aside from recommendations for
the passage of the Porto Rico govern
ment bill, the corrupt practice bill
and the Webb bill to legalize Ameri
can collective selling agencies abroad,
the presidents address was devoted
wholly to the railroad situation.
The only feature which had not
been forecast was the elimination of
the proposal that congress give ex-
plicit approval to consideration by
the interstate commerce commission
of an increase in freight rates to
meet additional expenditures by the
railroads caused by the operation of
the Adamson law
Today, the president took the po-
sition that "the power Of the inter-
state commerce commission to grant
an increase of rates on the ground
referred to is indisputably clear and
a recommendation by the congress
with regard to such a matter might
seem to draw in question the scope
of the commissions authority or it's
inclination to do justice when there
is no reason to doubt either"
Renews His Recommendations.
The other recommendations on the
railroad situation made in a special
message during the lats session,
which were not put into law, were
renewed today. They include:
Immediate provision for the en-
largement and administration reor-
ganization of the interstate commerce
commission along the lines embodied
in the bill recently passed by the
house of representatives and now
awaiting action by the senate, in
order that the commission may be en-
abled to deal with the many great
and various duties now devolving up
on it with a promptness and thor
oughness which are, with it's present
constitution and means of action,
practically impossible.
can amendment of the existing fed
eral statute which provides for the
exploitation, Cancellation and arbitra-
ton of such controversies as the pres
ent by adding to it a provision that,
in case the methods of accommoda-
ton now provided for should fail, a
full public investigation of the mer-
it's of every such dispute shall be in
stituted and completed before a strike
or lockout may lawfully be attempted.
"The Judgement in the hands Of
the executive Of the power, in case
of military necessity, to take con-
troll of such portions of such rolling
stock of the railways of the country
as may be required for military use
and to operate them for military pur-
poses, with authority to draft into
the military service of the United
States such train crews and admin
istrative officers as the circumstan-
ces may require for their safe and
efficient use"
Defends Compulsory Investigation.
The renewed recommendation for
compulsory investigation Of labor dis
putes on railways before strikes or
lockouts are allowed, which has
aroused the opposition of the rail-
road brotherhoods, and of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor, was de-
Tended in the presidents message
He declared he would hesitate to rec
ommend a law which would force in
dividual workmen to continue in an
employment which they desired to
leave, but that no such principle was
involved in the suggestion that the
operation of the railways of the coun-
try should not be stopped by the con-