Atlanta Georgian and news. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1912, December 03, 1907, Image 4

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4 THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. •TUESDAY, DECEMnER I. Continued from Page On?. p rove rally no Interstate business save a* wax conducted by water, and hr national government at once ••lr<i tn regulate in thorouKli(to rn* anti effective fashion. Conditions have now so wholly chanaed that the interstate commerce by water la Insig nificant compared with the amount that tore by land, and almost all him busi ness concerns are now encased In In terstate commerce. As a result, It can he but partially and Imperfectly con trolled or regulated by tho action of any one of the several etatos; such re- •I ’n Inevitably tending to he either too iroktlc or else loo laa, and In e'llior •see Ineffective for purpooe# of Justice. Only the national aoverntr.en: can In horoughgolnr fashion exercise the needed control. This does not mean hat there ehould he any extension of federal authority, for such authority slreadv exists under the constitution In amplest and most far-reaching form; hut It does tpsan that thsre should he an extension of Federal activity. This Is not advocating centralization. It le merely lor,king facte In the face, and eallxln* that centralization In business his already come and can not be avoid- ed nr undone, end that iho ptihltd nt :»r*o can only protect itself fiotn ear- .ain evil elTectt of this business cen tralisation by providing better methods for the exercise of control throuih the authority already centralized In the na tional government by the constitution itself. There must be no halt In t'ns healthy constructive course of action , which this ration lux elected to pursue, merit 'offloYaJs' combination, good or bad. Is noxious where It Is not Ineffective. Combina tion of capital, like combination of la bor, I* a necessary element' in our present Industrial system. It Is not possible completely to prevent it; and If It were possible, such complete pre vention would do damage to the body politic. Wbat we need Is not vainly to try to prevent all combination, but to aecure auch rigorous and adequate con trol and supervision of tha combina tions aa to prevent their Injurtn* the public, or exlatln* In auch forms aa In. evltably to threaten Injury. • * * It Is unfortunate that our present laws should forbid ail combinations Instead of sharply discriminating between those combinations which do cood and those combinations which do evil.'" Mr. Roosevelt here reviews his for mer message on the illegal trusts and a proper distinction between good and bad trusts. Make Law More Efficient. Continuing, the president said; "Tho anti-trust law should not be repealed; but it should be mod* both more efficient and more In harmony with actual conditions. It should be so amended as to forbid only the kind ol combination which does harm to the general public, such amendment to be accompanied by, or to he an Incident of, a grant of supervisory power to the government over these big concerns engaged In Interstate hualneas. This should be accompanied by provision for the compulsory publication of ac counts and the subjection of booka and papers to tile Inspection of the govern. A beginning has al might be analogous to that now exer- hns steadllypnraued. during tiiet ready been made” tor such supervision '1Zi ,h» 'r by tha establishment of the bureau of last «'x year a an „ legislation of the congress and the ad-1 corporations ministration of tha law br the depart-1 „ Tho ant |' no , nro _ ts^mmMetlnn wuirohetldiread* " Aa (k 11 ’**' c ' ,nr > bln » , i n n" that do no Injustice Is In conntc.ln.i with III. raliroeds yVs | to tn# mill less those the ex- to these. In my Judgment them should . |,tonco of which Is on the whole of now,ha cither a national Incorporation benefit to the public. But even If this **«• ot the law were abellihe.l thero ties to engage Ini Interstate eemnieroa would remain ns an equally objectlon- tipon certain-conoltlons. I able .feature the dimculty nn.l delay Central Issue of Securities. ! new Incident to Its enforcement. Tho •'Tbs law ahonld be «u framsd aa to j government must now submit to Irk- glve to the Interstate commerce com ' mission power to paas upon tha future Issue nt securities, while ample means should be provided to enable the com mission, whenever l;i It* Judgment It Is necessary, to make a physical valua tion of any railroad. As I stated In my nisssags to the congress n year ago. railroads should be given power to en ter Inlb agreements, subject to these igreeinents being made public In ml-' note detail nnd lo the consent of the Into relate commerce commission being flcst obtained, tfntll the national gov ernment nssuinss proper control of In terstate commerce. In tho exercise of the authority It already possesses. It will bo impossible either to give to ot to get from the railroads full Jiistlrr. ‘Tha railroads and all othor great corporations will do well to recognize that thla control must come; tho only question Is as to what governmental body can most wisely exercise It. The courts will determine tho limits within which the Federal authority can exer cise It, and there will atlll remain am- • pie Work within each atate for the rail- way commission of thnt state; and the national Interstate commerce rotnmls> sion will work In harmony with the several stato commissions, each within Its own province, to achieve tile desired end. Sherman Anti-Trust Law. “Moreover, In my Judgment there should be additional legislation look ing to the proper control of the groat business concerns engaged In Inter state business, this control tn he ex ercised for their own benefit and pros perity no lesa than for the protection of Investors and of the general public. As t have repeatedly said In messages to the congress and elsewhere, expe rience has definitely shown not merely the unwisdom hut the futility of en deavoring to put a stop to all business combinations. .Modem Industrial con ditions are auch that combination Is not only neceaaory but Inevitable. It la ao 111 the world of business Just as It Is so In the world of labor, unit It Is ns Idle to deal re to put an end to oil cor porations, to all big combinations of capital, as to desire to put an end to Combinations of labor. Corporation nn.l labor union alike have come to stay. Each. If properly managed. Is a source of good and nut evil. Whenever In either there la evil. It should be prompt ly held to account; hut It should re ceive hearty encouragement so long aa It.la properly managed. It la pro foundly Immoral to put or keep on the statute booka a law. nominally In the Interest of public morality, that really puts a premium upon public Immoral ity, by undertaking to rorbld honest men from doing what must be done un der modem business conditions, so thut the law Itself provides that Its own In fraction must be the condition prece dent upon business success. To aim at the accomplishment of too much usually means the accomplishment of too little, and often the doing of posi tive damacc. In my message to the congress a year ago. in speaking of the anti-trust laws, 1 said; Anti-Trust Laws. “ ‘The actual working of our laws lias shown that the effort to prohibit all some and repeated delay before obtain. Inif a haul decision of Iho courts upon proceedings Instituted, and even a fa vorable decree may mean on empty victory. Moreover, to attempt to con trol these corporations l.y lawsuits means lo lippose upon both, the de- partirient of Justice and the courts an Impossible burden: It Is not feasible to carry on more than a limited num ber of such suits. Such a law to be really effective must, of rourse, be administered by an executive body, nnd not merely by means of lawsuits. The design should he to prevent the abuses Incident to tho creation of unhealthy and Improper combinations. Instead of waiting until they are In existence nnd then attempting to destroy them by civil or criminal proceedings. Don’t Tolerate Bed Trusts. "A combination should not be toler ated If It abuse the power acquired by combination to the public detriment. No corporation or association of any kind should be permitted to engage In foreign or Interstnte commerce thut Is formed for the purpose of, or whose operations create, a monopoly or gen eral control of tho production, sale, or distribution of any one or more of the prime necessities of life or articles of general use and necessity. Such com binations are against public policy; they violate tile common law; " the doors of the eourt arc closed to those who are parties to them, nnd I believe the congress can cloao the channels of Interstate commerce against them for its protection. The law should make Its prohibitions and iiermlsslnns as clear ami definite us isrsslble, leaving the least possible room for arbitrary ? rtlon, nr allegation of such action, on he part of the executive, or of diver gent Intcrprelntlnua by the courts. Among the points to be alined nt should lie the prohibition of unhealthy compe tition, such aa liy rendering service at .n actual loss for the purpose of rushing out competition, tho preven tion of Inflation of rupltnl, and the prohibition of u corporation’s making exclusive trade with Itself a condition of having any trade with itself. I toon- nnble agreements between, or combi nation* of, corporations should be per mitted, provided they arc first submit ted to and uiqiroveil bv some appro print* government body. •The congress has tlm power to char ter corporations to enguge In Interstate and foreign ootrfineroe, and n general law can be enacted tinder the provis ions of which existing corporations could take out Federal charters and new Federal coriHirntlons could he cre ated. An essential provision of such a law should lie a method of predeter mining by some Federal board or com mission whether tho applicant for a Federal charter was an association or combination within the restrictions of the Federal law. Provision should ulso be made for complete publicity In nil matters affecting the public and com plete protection to the Investing pub lic and the shareholders In the matter of Issuing corporate securities. If an Incorporation law Is not deemed ad visable, a license net for big Inter state corporations might be enacted: or a combination of the two might lie tried. The supervision established clsed over national banka. At least, tha anti-trust act should be supple mented by specific prohibitions of ths methods which experience has shown have been of most service In enabling monopolistic combinations to crush out competition. The real owners of a corporation should be compelled to do business In their own name. The right to hold stock In other corpora tions should hereafter be denied to In terstate corporations, unless on ap proval by the proper government offi cials, and a prerequisite to such ap proval should be the Hating with the government of all owner* and stock holders, both by the corporation own ing such stock and by the corporation tn which such, stock Is owned. Supervise Big Concerns. To confer upon the national gov ernment, In connection with the amendment I advocate In the anti- law. power of supervision over hi islpees concerns engaged In In ter .te commerce, would heneflt them as . has benefited the national banks. In the recent business crisis It Is note worthy that the Institutions which failed were Institutions which were not under the supervision and control of the national government. Those which were under national control stood the teat. “National control of the kind above advocated would he to the benefit of every well-managed railway. From tho standpoint of tho public there la need for additional tracks, additional ter minals, and improvements In the actual handling of the railroads, and all this as rapidly a* possible. Ample, safe and speedy transportation facili ties are even more necessary than cheap transportation. Therefore, there le need forth* Investment of money which will provide for all these things While at the same time securing as far aa Is possible better wages and shorter hours for their employees. Therefore, while there must be Just and reasonable regulation iff rates, wo should bo the first to protest against any arbitrary and unthinking movement to cut them down without the fullest nnd most careful consideration of all Interest* concerned and of ths actual needs of tho situation. Only a sjiecbil body of men uctlng for the national govern ment under authority conferred upon It by the congress Is competent to puss Judgment on such a matter. “Those who fear, from any reason, the extension of Federal activity will do well to study the history not only of tho national hanking act, hut of the pure food law, and notably the meat Inspection law recently enacted. The pure food law was opposed so violently that Its passage whs delayed for a decade; yet It has worked unmlxed and Immediate good. The meat Inspection law wa* even more violently assailed; and the same men who now denounce the uttltude of the national government In seeking to oversee and control the workings of Interstate common car riers and business concerns then as serted that we were 'discrediting ami ruining a grent American Industry.’ Two years have not elapsed and al ready It has become evident that the greut benefit the law confers upon the public la accompanied by an equal ben efit to the reputable packing estab lishments. The latter are better off under the luw than they were without It. The benefit to Interstate common carriers and business concerns from the legislation I advocate would he equally marked. Pure Food Law. “Incidentally, In the passage of the pure food law tbs action of the va rious atate food and dairy commission ers showed In striking fashion how much good for the wholo people results from the hearty co-operation of the Federal and state officials In securing n given reform. It Is primarily to the action of these state commissioners that we owe the enactment of this law, for thay aroused the people, first to demand the enactment nnd enforcement of atate laws on the subject, and then the enactment of the Federal law. with, out which the state laws were largely Ineffective. There must be the closest ro-operatlon between the national nnd state governments In administering tie** laws. '"In my message to the congress year ago I spoke ns follows of the cur rency: Currency, " 'I especially call your attention to the condition of our currency laws. The national bank act lias ably served grent purpose In aiding the enormous business development of the country, and within ten years there baa been an Increase In circulation per capita from J3M1 to JS3.HR. For several years evidence has been accumulating that additional legislation la needed. The recurrence of each crop season empha sises the defects of the present laws. There must soon be a revision of them, hecause to leave them as they are means to Incur liability of business disaster. Sine# your .body adjourned there ha* been a fluctuation In the In terest on call money from 2 per cent to 3D per rent, nnd the fluctuation wnt even greater during tha preceding six months. Ths secretary of the treasury Imd to step In nnd hv wise action put a atop tn the moat v|>lcnt period of os cillation. Even worse then such fluc tuation is the advance In commercial rate* and the uncertainty felt In the sufficiency of credit even at high rates. All commercial Interests suffer during each crop period. Excessive rates for call money In New York attract money from t)ie Interior banka Into tha specu. lattv* field. This depletes the fund that would otherwise bo available for commercial use*, anil commercial bor rower* are forced to pay abnormal rates, so that each fall a tax. In the shape of Increased Interest charges. Is placed on the whole commerce of the country. Let Banka Issue Notes. "’Among the plans which are possi bly feasible and which certainly should receive your consideration la that re- peatedly brought to your attention by ffie present secretary of the treasury, the essential features of w|rfch have been approved by many prominent bankers' and business men. According to this plan national banks should be permitted to Issue a specified propor tion of their capital In notes of a given kind, Jhe Issue to be taxed at so Ugh a rat* aa to drlva the notes back when not wanted In legitimate trade. This plan would not permit the isaue of currency to give banks additional profits, but to meet the emergency presented by times of stringency. "‘I do not say that this la the right system. I only advance It to emphasize my belief that there Is need for the adoption of tome system which shall be automatic and open to all sound banks, so as to avoid all possibility of discrimination and favoritism.' More Elasticity. T again urge on the congress the need of Immediate attention to thla matter. We need a greater elasticity In our currency; provided, of course, that we recognise the even greater need of a safe and secure currency. There must always be the moat rigid examination by the national authorities. Provision should be made for an emergency cur rency. The einnggengy Issue should, of course, be made with an effective guar anty, and upon condition* carefully prescribed by the government. Such emergency Issue must be based on ade quate securities approved by the gov ernment, and must be issued under a heavy tax. This would permit currency being Issued when the demand for It was urgent, while securing Its retire ment as the demand fell off. It Is worth Investigating to determine whether of ficers and directors of national banks should ever be allowed to loan to themselves. Trust companies should bo subject to the same supervision as banks; legislation to this effect should, be enacted for tho District of Columbia and the territories. “Yet tda must also remember that even t>5 wisest legislation on the subject can only accomplish a certain amount. No legislation can by any possibility guarantee the business com munity against the rosults of specula tive folly any more than It can guar antee mi Individual against the results of his extravagance. When an Indi vidual mortgages his house tn buy an automobile lie Invites disaster; and when wealthy men. or men who poae as such, or are unscrupulously or foolishly eager to become auch. Indulge In reck less speculation—especially If It Is ac companied by dishonesty—they Jeop ardize not only their own future, but the future of all their Innocent fellotv- cltlsens, for they expose the whole business community to panic and dis tress. Revenue. “The Income account of the nation la j In a moat satisfactory condition. For I the six fiscal years ending wtlh July 1' last, the total expenditures and reve- nues of the national government, ex clusive of the postal revenues and ex*- ffssr w * re ' 1,1 round numbers, ’“• 4 S- n00 ;0J 0 . and expenditures 13,275,. 000,000. The net excess of Income over expenditures, Including In the latter the fifty millions expended for the Panama ™!J' "' a * on ® hundred and ninety million dollar* for the six years, an about 'hirty-one million* a y«ai. Thla represent* an approxlma- tlon between Income and outgo which It would be hard to Improve. The eat- jorkfn* of P rwe «t tariff !h?. ha \i? ee . n chiefly responsible for JJjj^xeallent showing. Neverthelexa, constantly y**™. I *, n » evident and growing Tooling among our people that the time |a rapidly approaching when be 4?u3l ° f r#v * nu * ‘** l * la ‘l°n must Ths Tariff. This country Is definitely committed to the protective system nnd eny er. fort to uproot It could not but rails# widespread Industrial disaster. In other words, the principle of the piss- ent tariff law could not with wisdom be changed. But In a country of such phenomenal growth as our* It Is prob ably well that every dosen years or so the tariff laws should bs carefully ecru, tlnlaed so as to see that no excessive or Improper benefits are conferred thereby, that proper revenue Is pro. vlded, and that nur foreign trade Is encouraged. There mint always be aa a minimum a tariff which w ill nut only allow for the collection of an ample rc 'A n V!' b “‘ which will at least make good the difference In coat of produc tion here and abroad; that Is, the tllf- ft ranee In the labor cost here nnd abroad, for the well-being of the wage- worker must ever be a cardinal point of American policy. The question should be appmuehed purely from a business standpoint; both the time nnd the manner of the change being auch ns tn mouse the minimum of agitation and disturbance In the business w’orld. . _ »nd to give The least ploy .for selfish menf- in Coffin or nn ra f ll *'»tal motives. The sole con- lllwiiL ili J-CLLHIg UU | alderatlon should bs to see that the -* - aum imm of changes represents the public good. This means that the auh. Jc-ct can not with wisdom be dealt with tn the year preceding a presidential e-ecUon. because as a matter of tact -xperlencs has conclusively shown that -• such a time It la Impossible to get •n to treat It from the standpoint of _ , • Public good. In my judgment, the ...I_ ’ „I ’ • l»**c time to deal with the matter wnicn IS COm ins |,ni! " lH,ln, * ,y * f, e> such, election. • • | ® Income Tsx and Inhsritanc* Tax. into universal use; hen our tsx laws are revised the question of an income tax and an In heritance tax should receive the care ful attention of our legislators. In my judgment both of these taxes should be part of our system of Federal tax ation. I speak diffidently about the in come tax because one scheme for an Income tax wa* declared unconstitu tional by the supreme court; while In addition It Is a difficult tax tn admlnls. ter tn Its practical working, and gnat care would hav* to be exercised to see that It wa* not evaded by the very men whom it was most desirable to have taxed, for If so evaded IP would, of lourse. be worse than no tax at all; as the least desirable of all taxes Is the tax which bears heavily upon the hon est as compared with the dishonest man. Nevertheless, DR. PORTER, an Old Railroad Surgeon, spent several years of study and experi ment in getting up the preparation known as Df. PdltBr’S f devised which the supreme court will declare constitutional. “The inheritance tax, however, is both a far better method of taxation, and far more Important for the pur pose of haring the fortunee of the country bear In proportion to their In crease in size a corresponding In crease and burden of taxation. The government has the absolute right to deride as to the terms upon which a mah shall receive a bequest or devise from another, and this point In the devolution of property Is especially ap propriate for the Imposition of a tax. Laws imposing such taxes have re peatedly been placed upon the national statute books and as repeatedly declar ed conetltutlonal by the courte; and these laws contacted the progressive principle, that Is. after certain amount la reached the bequest sift, In life or death, la Increasingly burdened and the rate of taxation la Increased In proportion to the remote ness of blood ot the man receiving the bequest. Enforcement of the Law. A few years ago there wa* loud com plaint that the law could not he In voked against wealthy offenders. There Is no such complaint now. Ths course ot the department of justice during the last few years has been auch as to make It evident that mo man stands above the law, that no corporation i# so wealthy that It can not be held to ocoount. The department ot Justice has been as prompt to proceed against the.wealthiest malefactor whose crime was one' of greed and cunning as t. proceed against the agitator who In rites to brutal violence. Everything that can be done under the existing law, and with the existing state of pub lic opinion, which so profoundly Influ ences both the courts and Juries, has been done. Rut the laws themselves need strengthening in more than one Important point; they should be made more definite, so that no honest man can he led unwittingly to break them, and so that the real wrongdoer can be readily punished. "Moreover, there must be the public opinion back of the laws or the laws themselves will be of no avail. At present, while the average Juryman undoubtedly wishes to see trusts brok en up, nnd Is quite ready tn tine the oqhporatlnn Itself, he Is very reluctant to And. the facts proven beyond a reas onable doubt when It comes to sending to Jail a member of the business com munity for Indulging In practices which are profoundly unhealthy, hut which, unfortunately, the business community has grown to recognize ns well nigh normal. Both the present condition* of the law and the present temper of Juries render It a task of extreme difficulty to get at the real wrongdoer in any such case, especial ly by Imprisonment. Yet It Is from ev ery standpoint far preferable to punish the prime offender by Imprisonment rather than to line the corporation, with the attendant damage to stock holders. Two Great Evil*. “The two great evils In the execu tion of our criminal laws today are sentimentality and technicality. For the latter the remedy must come frost the hands of the legislatures, the courts and the lawyer*. The other must de pend for Its cure upon the gradual growth of a sound public opinion which’ shall Insist that regsrd for the law and the demands of. reason shall control all other Influences and emotions In the Jury box. Both of these evils must be removed or public discontent with the criminal law will continue. Inj'unctione. “Instances of abuse In the granting of Injunctions In labor disputes con tlnue to occur and the resentment In the minds of those who feel that their rights are being Invaded and their lib erty of action anil of speech unwar rantably restrained continues likewise to grow. Much of the attack on the use of the process of Injunction I* wholly without warrant; but I am con strained to express the- belief that for some of It there Is warrant. This ques tion - Is becoming more and more one of prime Importance, and unless the courts will themselves deal with It in effective manner, It ta rertatn ultimately to de mand some form of legislative action, it would be most unfortunate for our social welfare If w# should permit many honest and law-abiding cltlsena to feel that they had Juat cause for regarding our courte with hostility. I earnestly commend to the attention of the congress this matter, so that some wav may be devised which will limit the abuse of Injunction* and protect those rights which from tlm* to time it unwarrantably invade*. .Moreover, discontent Is often expressed with the use ot the process of Injunction by the courts, not only In labor disputes, but where state laws are concerned. I re frain from diacuaalon of this question as 1 am Informed that it will soon re ceive the consideration of the supreme court. The Federal courts must of course decide ultimately what are the respec tive spheres of atate and nation In con nection with any law, state or national, and- they must deride definitely and Anally In matters affecting Individual cltlsens, not only as to the rights and wrongs of labor but us to tho rlghtn and wrongs of capital; and the nation al government must always seo that the decision of the court ta put Into ef fect. The process of Injunction Is an essential adjunct of the court'a doing Its work well: and as preventive meas ures are always better than remedial, the wise use of this process Is from ev ery standpoint commendable. But' where It Is recklessly or unnecessar- ’ tly used, the abuse ehould be censured, above all by the very men who are properly anxtous to prevent any effort to shear the courte of this necessary power. The court’s decision must be final; the protest la only against the conduct of Individual Judges In need lessly anticipating such final decision, or In the tyrannical use of yvhat- Is —7 nominally a temporary Injunction to accomplish what la In fact a perma nent decision. “The loss of life and limb from rail road accident* In thla country has be-- roads and their employees has. for the ■ • * ‘ ‘ first time, been subjected to serious tests within the past year, and the wls. dom of the experiment has been fullv demonstrated. The creation of a board for compulsory Investigation In curs where mediation falls and arbitration la rejected la the next logical .step In n FiPncrrnm • * come appalling. It Is a mibject of which the national government ehould take supervision. It might be well to begin by providing for a Federal in spection of Interstate railroads some what along the lines of Federal inspec tion of steamboats, although not going so far; perhaps at rst all that It would be necessary to have would be some other officer whose duty would be to investi gate alt accidents on Interstate rail roads and report In detail the causes thereof. Such an officer should make It his business to get Into close touch with raiiroad operating rnen so as to become thoroughly familiar with every side of the question, the Idea being to work along the lines of the present steamboat Inspection law. Employers’ Liability. “The national government should be a model employer. It should demand the highest quality of sendee from each of Its employees and it should care for all of them properly In return. Con gress should adopt legislation providing limited hut deflnlte compensation for accidents to all workmen within the scope of the federal power. Including employees of navy 5*ards and arsenals. In other words, a model employers* lia bility act, far-reaching and thorough going, should he enacted which should apply to ail positions, public and pri vate, over which the national govern ment has jurisdiction. The number of accidents to wage-workers, Including those that are preventable and those that are not, h«* become appalling in the mechanical, manufacturing and transportation operations of the day. It works grim hardship to the ordinary wage-worker and his family to have the effect ot such an accident fall sole ly upon him; and, on the other hand, there are whole classes of attorneys who exist only by Inciting men who may or may not have been wronged to undertake suits for negligence. As a matter of fact, a suit for negligence is generally nn/ Inadequate remedy for the person Injured, while It often causes altogether disproportionate annoyance to tho employer. The law should he made such that tho payment for acci dents by the employer would be auto matic instead of being a matter for law suits. Workmen should receive certain aqd deflnlte compensation for all accidents In industry Irrespective of negligence. Should Take All Risk. “The employer is the agent of the public and on his own responsibility and for his own profit he serves tho public. When he starts in motion agen cies which create risks for others, he should take all the ordinary f and t ra n r din m y risks Involved; und the risk he thus at the moment assumes will ultimately be assumed, as It ought to be, by the general public. Only In this way cnn#the shock of the accident be diffused. Instead of falling upon the creating the chairman of the Interstate commerce commission and the commit. sloner ot labor a board of mediation in controversies between Interstate rail- man or woman least able to bear it, as is now the cose. The community at largo should share the burdens as well ns the benefits of Industry. By the proposed law, employers would gain a desirable certainty of obligation and get rid of litigation to determine It, while the workman and his family would be relieved from a crushing load. With such a policy Would come in creased laws providing for employers* liability on railroads engaged In Inter state commerce and for safety ap pliances, as well as for diminishing the hours any employee of a railroad should be permitted to work, should all be Best For The Bowels as the most conve nient and efficient application obtain able for woitnds 9 bums, sores and skin diseases, whether slight or serious. It is a scientific combina tion of medicinal qualities which relieves pain, antiseptically cleanses and rapidly heals all injured or diseased parts. It .has become a sort of “HOUSSllOld Slirg80ll. M All druggists sell it 25c annualsaleVtes millioii boxes I < ba I ml It I* iu be hoped that on* mav t>* PEPSIA I IIC UUVVtJIS - strengthened wherever In actual prac tlco they have shown weakness; they should he kept on the statute book* In thoroughgoing form. ”The con*tltutlona!ity of the em ployer*’ liability act passed by the pre ceding congress has been carried before the courts. In two jurisdictions the law has been declared unconstitutional, and In three jurisdictions Its constitution ality has been affirmed. The question has been carried to the supreme court, the case ha# been heard by that tribu nal. and a decision Is expected at an early date. In the event that the court should affirm the constitutionality of the act, I urge further legislation along the lines advocated In my message to tha preceding congress. Eight-Hour Law. 'The congrese should consider the extension of the eight-hour daw. The constitutionality of the present law lias receutly been called Into question, and the supreme court lias decided that the existing legislation I* unquestionably within the powers of congress. The principle of the eight-hour day should ns rapidly and ns far aa practicable be extended to the entire work carried on by the government; and the present law should be amended to embrace con tracts on those public works which the present wording of the act has been construed to exclude. The general In troduction ot the eight-hour day should be tho goal toward which we should steadily tend, and the government should aet the example In this respect; Compulsory Investigation of Industrial Disputes. “Strike* and lockouts, with their at tendant loss and suffering continue to Increase. For the live years ending December 31. 1205. the number of strikes was greater than those In any previous ten years nnd wa* double the number In the preceding five years. These figures Indicate the increasing need of providing some machinery to deal with this class of disturbances In the Interest alike of the employer, the employee and the general public. < I renew my previous recommendation tlmt the congress favorably consider the matter of creating the machinery for compulsory Investigation of such Industrial controversies ns are of suf ficient magnitude and of sufficient con cern to the people of the country as a whole to warrant the Federal govern ment In taking action. “The need for some provision for such Investigation was.forcibly Illus trated during the past summer. A strike of telegraph operators seriously Interfered with telegraphic communi cation, causing great damage to busi ness Interests and serious inconven ience to tho general public. Appeals * ere made to me from many parts of le country, from city council*, from boards of trade, front chamber* of com merce, and from labor organizations, urging that step* be taken to terminate the strike. Everything that could with any propriety be done by a representa tive of the government wa* done, with out avail, und for week* the public stood by and suffered without recourse of any ktn<L Ilad the machinery ex isted und had there been authority for compulsory Investigation of the dis pute, the public would have been placed In possession of the merits of the controversy, and public opinion would probably have brought about a prompt adjustment. “Each successive step creating ma chinery for the adjustment of labor difficulties mu«t be taken with caution, but we should endeavor to make prog- a progressive program. Capital and Labor. “It la certain that for some time to come there will be a constant Increase absolutely, and perhaps relatively, of those among our citizens who dwell In cltle* or town* of some #t*e and who work for wages. Thl* means that there will be an ever-increasing need to con sider the problems inseparable from a great Industrial civilization. Where an Immense anti complex business, es pecially In those branches relating tn manufacture and transportation, Is transacted by a large number of capi talists who employ a very much laigei- number of wage-earners, the former tend more and more to combine into corporations and the latter Into unions The relations of the capitalist and wage-worker te one another, and of each to tho general public, are not al ways easy to adjuat; and to put them and keep them on a satisfactory basis Is one of the moat Important and one of the most delicate tasks before nur Whole civilisation. Much of the work for the accomplishment of this er.d must be done by the Individuals con cerned themtelves, whether singly or In combination; and the one funda mental fact that must never be lost track of Is that the character of the average man. whether he lie a man of means or a man who works with his hands, is the most Important factor In solving the problem aright. Rut tt is almost equally Important to remember that without goad laws It Is also Im possible to reach the proper solution. It Is Idle to hold that without good law* evils such as child labor, ns the over working of women, as the failure to protect employees from loss of life or limb, can be effectively reached, am- more than the evil* of rebates anil stock watering can be reached without good laws. To fall to atop these prac tices by legislation means to force hon est men Into them, because otherwise the dishonest who surely will take ad vantage of them will have everything their own way. If the state will cor rect these evils, well nnd good; but th* nation must stand ready to aid them. Important Question. "No question growing out of our rapid anti complex industrial develop ment ls more Important than that of the employment of women and chil dren. The presence of women in in dustry reacts with extreme directness upon the character of the home ami upon family • life, und the conditions surrounding the employment of chil dren bear a vital relation to our future citizenship. Our legislation In those areas under the cdnirol of the congress Is very much behind the legislation of our more progressive states. A thor ough and comprehensive measure should be ndopted nt thla session of the congress relating'to the employment of women and children In the District of Columbia nnd the territories. The In vestigation Into the condition of wom en and children wage-earners recently authorized nnd dlrectetl by the congres - Is now being carried on In the various states, and I .recommend that’the ap propriation made lust year, for begin ning this work be renewed. In order that we may hav* the thorough ami comprehensive Investigation which the subject demands. The national gov ernment has as an ultimate resort for control of child labor the uae of the Interstnte commerce clause to prevent the products of child labor from en tering Into Interstate commerce. But before using this it ought certainly t. enuct model laws on the subject for the territories under Its own Immediate control. G*t All Swindlers, it makes.not a particle of difference whether these crimes are committed by n capitalist or by a laborer, by a lending banker or manufacturer or railroad man. or by a leading represen tative of a labor union. Swindling In stocks, corrupting legislatures, making fortunes by the Inflation of securities, by wrecking railroads, by destroying competitors through rebate*—these forma of wrongdoing In the capitalist are far more Infamous than any ordi nary form of embezzlement or forgery yet It Is n matter of extreme dUflculty to secure the punishment of the mnn most guilty of them, most responsible for then). The business man who con dones such conduct stands on a level with the lnbor man who dellherately supports a corrupt tl«nngogue anil agi tator, whether head of a union or head Continued on Next Pago. res# In thl# direction Nursing Mothers and Over-burdened Women In oil station**)! life, whose vigor and vitality may have been undermined and broken-down by over-work, exacting eoolai duties, the too frequent bearing of children, or other causes, will And In Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription the most potent. Invigorating restorative strength- giver ever dovlsed for their special bene fit. Nuijlngmtothers wlRfind It especial ly valuablo irv sustaining their strength and proinoting\n dbundant nqurlihment f°. r ,,th* child. T.tpbctantjnpiitfn too will find It a prlcelcxs'tajiiJftTpjienbrc th* system for baby’s coming and rdhdicins tho ordeal comparatively palnlejsy_U ran jo no hji-rn-iu snv -t.rte. nr nm.liil. :i teThi'Aous. weak women, who lufTer from frequent headaches, back- »che, dragging-down distress low down In the abdomen, or from painful or Irreg ular monthly periods, gnawing or dis tressed sensation In stomach, dlay or faint spells, sec Imaginary specks or spots Boating before eyes, have disagreeable, pelvic catarrhal drain, prolapsus, ante- version or retro-version or other displace ments of womanly organs from weakness af parts will, whether they experience many or only a few of the above symp toms, find relief and a permanent cure by osfng faithfully and fairly persistently Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription. This world-famed specific for woman's weaknesses and peculiar ailments Is s B ure glyceric extract of the choicest na ve, medicinal roots without a drop of alcohol In lu make-up. All Its ingredi ent* printed In plain English on Its bottle- wrapper and attested tinder oath. Dr. Pierce thus invites the fullest Investiga tion of hlx formula knowing that It will ho found to contain only the best agents known to the most ait store,1 medical science of all the different schools of prac tice for th* cure of woman's peculiar lt eaknwse* and aliments. f you want to know more about th* r mposition and professional endorse- r nt of the* Favorite Pre*criptlon,”send I 'to! card request to Dr. R. V. Pierre, I., iHlo. N. Y„ for Ills free booklet treat in': of same. « ’ou can’t afford to accept as a sttbstl Th. provisions of th* act of 1IM <(bn ’ do IL .e for this remedy of known composition ■nm of unknown romjsMie a secret nostrum