New-York tribune., 1905-11-15
REASSURES LABOR MEN.
PRESIDENT On PROTEST.
Tells mployes That Rate Legisla
iatiOn U,W Not Hurt Wages.

| made to tho President to-day against the propose
! railroad freight legislation by representatives o
! i've of the great labor organizations connecte
with raiiroading-the engineers, frenen. conduc
7 tors, switchmen and tralnnen The delegatio,
pointed out TO the President that railroad rat
! legislation logically meant the lowering Of rates
Ihis, they contended. woud be followed by :
iessening of the earning power of RAILROADS ant
consequently by reduction eventually of the wage.
OF railroad employees.
George Huntley of the conductors, r,o,izo +io,,
presented to the President statement of the char
acter OF the organizations represented and assured
HIM that no tant of partisaaship or poIitca1 color
ins existed in any degree among the members OF
the delegation
PRESIDENT Roosevelt. in his reply said:
Gentlemen: have just word that want to say
10 YOU In the first place / trust I need bo al; IA
"a M t&f 1, no delegation will ever be more welcome
~ me interests crest of the wageworker and the interests
an an american PUBLIC men; among other reasons for
Ig yHT reason that # they ali other classes
VII VIII prosper likewise, matter of course AS I
sad a6e other day to the representatives of or
my for the laborng mem except to do n IN
wrn 1lg wrong W & Tor the man who will do anything
also do wrong against this same other man if ewa
IL becomes 10 his own interest to do so
Your associations deserve peculiar regard becauss
Qualities t6et a to marked degree the
develop-the Intelligence the resar5 FOR the ft9
me seIf-respect mingled with respect for others
essential to any body OF men which is to move up
ward and onward Remember always that every
naail , OF US must in some shape other have his
PASSIONS and appetites governed. and the of
thars har goxeernment e there is from within the
WIN most of the general statements that you
your your application of them. There has been com
para patauvey @ little complaint TO Of the railroad
con plaInts that have been made to me nave been
G1 IMPROPER discrimination in railroad For
instance, IN two recent affecting great cor
@ perdtioas s the Complaints that have been made
aSes
rs ABOUT the dierential the difference of treatment
in favor of of shippers as against another
set set. OF shippers Whether this is just not l am
very deeply appreciate and sympathize with the
est between the man who actually does the hand
ling OF the trains at the brakes in the engine cab
has to 90 as capitalist or as the higher empoye
4b b 'e nee Gapita4sa with the general management OF
not be overinculcated is the of the identity
have to tell body like this something that / do
nave 70 tell some other bodies, and that is if you
can make success of it the wageworkers on that
ead the anne o You must have the
as you. coInrade of the Civil War turning to an
needed general who Knew his business. or your
Va0r did not avail You remember that the vaIor
he was the basis of everything: the man who car
iled ie the gun made the army and could not
Of no value If there was not directing power to
Army could have accomplished nothing if the feel
Ing of the enlisted men had been the wish to down
heartily in achieving the common work s for which
ali in common Were striving.
,theT recent utteranees you will see my principles
would not tolerate for one moment any injustice
o a railroad any more than l would tolerate any
again that would remove a public Official who
~ yeded ase to b any public eam9r against
e, s, lust as quickly as would remove public ON
Dad the expense of the public But am con-
nced that there must be an increased regulatory
nent over the railways Indeed would ike it er-
de pressing at Ihe than have any
For instance. would greatly like to have it ex-
convinced that the wages fund.- would be- larger
! there was no fictitious capital upon which divi- /
this does not mean hostility wealth. If you |
a e in IN Tom 9fvs 3af so sT0ngy
aclion should be taken against certain of !
Ike those, same men Of wealth, 1 would defend |
hem against you. no matter how much | cared |
or you; and in so doing 1 would really be acting
interest if failed It to do justice to the capitaliSt
ict against the abuses OF wealth JUST against /
ion is of much the same character as that en-
ountered when engaged in putting through |
ecure certain legislation in when You have ali
een interested, such as the employers liability
Most certainly I will join with you resisting
ny raroads which act decently for for would hold
nat such damage was not merely to the capitalist
Dads but to all the cogHtry Nv aim IS to secure
he just and equal treatment of the public by those
ant to give 1t Just as much as by the larger num-
sT Wh9 90 " want to give it. All want in any fs1e
lpervisory power which shall be exercised scrupu-
revent their doing injustice to the public. our en-
eavor is to see that these big railroad men and big
hppers who are not responsive to the demands
justice are required to do what their fellows who
re responsive to the demands of justice would be
ad TO do of their own accord
The statement presented by Mr. Runtley
blows:
The railroad employees and those dependent upon
lem represent upward of six millions of people in
mount to 100000 600 annually and we believe
lat there is class of American workmen VINO
an the railroad employees and we also claim that
are entitled fair and impartial consideration
on that threatens our general prosperity; I
We take keen and active interest IN an Inatters
andard of conditions for the workingmen of this
e inception of this movement for national leg
ation upon railroad rates all railroad employees
I've from time time and in various ways ex-
-otherhood OF Railroad Trainmen, with 81 GOO mem
ring adopted resolutions of the emphatic I
ture against reduction in railroad rates The c
of Locomotive Firemen have expressed
N ~ The Order of railway CS1doeters: At their
enniai convention in Portland Ore last May IN
rsed resolutions of the same nature
rhe membership of these organizations Is now h a
still behind another full million OF idporeTs
ecIed e hV snv reductions in the earning capacity
the railroad lines of this country, and what m
s = II hts. why have the Tread interests in 7
rticular been selected for this attack? WY IL +
, rnmmisson nor TO he clothed with the same Il
u5e s0hGTg % otRng af S bnfteP nf and egs eo
fact everything which one has to ouy every