Speech 65
LABOR LEGISLATION FOR WASHINGTON

FROM THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE AT THE OPENING OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY NINTH CONGRESS, DECEMBER 5, 1905

THE National Government has as a rule but little occasion to deal with the formidable group of problems connected more or less directly with what is known as the labor question, for in the great majority of cases these problems must be dealt with by the State and municipal authorities and not by the National Government.  The National Government has control of the District of Columbia, however, and it should see to it that the City of Washington is made a model city in all respects, both as regards parks, public playgrounds, proper regulation of the system of housing so as to do away with the evils of alley tenements, a proper system of education, a proper system of dealing with truancy and juvenile offenders, a proper handling of the charitable work of the District.  Moreover, there should be proper factory laws to prevent all abuses in the employment of women and children in the District.  These will be useful chiefly as object lessons, but even this limited amount of usefulness would be of real national value.