Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1908 — HOUSE LIKES WORD; SEDATE IS UNMOVED [ARTICLE]

HOUSE LIKES WORD; SEDATE IS UNMOVED

•FECIAL MESSAGE BY PRESIDENT t READ TO BOTH BRANCHES OF CONGRESB. REPRESENTATIVES LAUD TARIFF REVISION PLAN That Topic Bring* Forth Handclapping in Lower Body—Democrat* Take Part in Applause—Many New Law* Are Asked. Washington, Mat. 26. —A special message was read in both houses of congress soon after convening Wednesday and' in both it was closely followed. In the house the declaration that the time had come for a revision of the tariff elicited handclapping on the part of Democratic members. Donaocratie approval also was given by way of pounding desks to the suggestion that congress could with advantage forthwith remove the tariff on wood pulp, with a corresponding reduction upon paper made from wood pulp. The Republicans waited and confined the applause to the message as a whole. In the senate the messagewas received without comment of any kind. New Child Labor Law Asked. Among the measures on which action is asked are the following: Model child-labor bill for the District of Columbia; an employers’ liability bill to conform to recent supreme court decision; amendment of the law affecting labor injunctions, providing that notice be given before an injunction 1b issued and hearing of contempt the anti-trust laws to distinguish be-tween-good and bad combines, permitting railroad pooling and 6uch organisations as labor unions and granges to conduct their business. While the rights of union* are recognized and their legitimate purposes praised, boycotts and blacklisting are condemned. Tuiff revision is recommended and it Is suggested that thi* congress take preliminary steps to that end. Immediate repeal of the tariff on wood pulp is orged. Asks Liability Law. The message in part: I renew my recommendation for the las mediate re-enactment of an employon* liability law, drawn to conform to (ho recent decision of the supreme soar! Within the limits indicated by the court, the law should be mad* thorough and comprehensive, and the protection it affords should embrace every class of employe to which the power of tha congress can extend. Child labor should he prohibited throughout the nation. At least a model child-labor bill should be passed for tho District of Columbia It is •nfortunate that in the on* place solely dependent upon congress for its legislation there should be no law whatever to protect children by forbidding or regulating their labor. Injunction Legislation. I also urge that action be taken along the line of the recommendations 1 have already made conoemlng injunctions in labor disputes. No temporary restraining order should bo isttsd by aay court without notice; and (BO petlton for a permanent lnjunobos spot which such temporary restraining order has boon Issued should wlthla a reasonable time—say, not to sussed a week or thereabouts from the dale when tho order was issued. It is Wh ssasidorlag whether It would

not give greater popular commence in the Impartiality of sentences for contempt If It was required that the issue should be decided by another Judge than the one issuing the Injunction, except where the contempt is committed In the presence of the court, or in other case of urgency. Rate Law Amendments. I again call attention to the urgent need of amending the interstate commerce law and especially the anti-trust law along the lines indicated in my last message. The Interstate commerce law should be amended so as to give railroads the right to make traffic agreements, subject to these agreements being approved by the interstate commerce commission and published in all of their details. The commission should also be given the power to make public and to pass upon the issuance of all securities hereafter issued by railroads doing an interstate commerce business. A law should be providing in effect that when a federal court determines to place a common carrier or other public utility concern under the control of a receivership; the attorney general should have the right to nominate at least one of the receivers} -or -else in seme-otherway -tire interests of the stockholders should be consulted, so that the management may not be wholly re-delivered to the man or men the failure of whose policy may have necessitated the creation of the receivership. Receiverships should be used, not to operate roads, but as speedily as possible to pay their debts and return them to the proper owners.