Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-13
TALKS TO PRESIDENT
SAMUEL GOMPERS MAKES TRIP
TO OYSTER BAY.
Expected to Return to Washington To-
night-Chinese Exclusion
Considered.

Information has been received at the
headquarters Of the American Federation
of Labor. on G street. that Mr.. Samuel
Gompers of that organization held long
conference with President Roosevelt yes
terday afternoon at Oyster Bay. With
President Gompers was Vice President
James Duncan of Quincy. Mass. Mr. Com
pers is expected to return to Washington
tonight or tomorrow morning.
It is said the conference was devoted par
ticularly to consideration OF the order
recently issued by the President regarding
the enforcement of the Chinese exclusion
law An impression had been gained py
many members of labor organizations that
the order, TO an extent at least. let down
the immigration bars, far as Chlhese
are concerned. The President assured MS
callers. however. that no such construction
properly could be placed on me ofufl, anu
that he was just vigorously opposed 10
the admission to this country OF CHiheSe
coolies as they could be.
Mr. Gompers urged upon the President
the desirability for an Intelligent, practical
and humane consideration of the general
ouestiou of immigration by the people ana
by Congress. The people OF this couHu1
and of the whole civilized world are en-
titled. he maintained, TO such Il coi'S'uei"
ton of the problem.
I'VE directed the Presidents attention,
said Mr.. GompeTs after the cohleieiIte' ~
the INTERPRETATION placed Dy Soiile Po4So
ON his recent order, issued at the instance
=, tbe American Asiatic Association con-
corning tie admission to the Uniteo states
of Chinese. BY many OF our own peoPie aiiu
by many Chinese that order was looked upon
ac q letttng down of the immigration patS'
60 f,r az the Chinese are concerned. Inc
President assured us that no proper reaolhs
of the order would warrant Such an Ahtei
nretation and that nothing was Iurthet
from, his intention than that Such an I'M
he
His determination is that both skilled ana
unskilled Chinese laborers shall DE eNciuoeu
from the United States. and he says the law
will be rigidly enforced.
The Exempt Glasses.
His order related only to the so-called
aven,Dt classes. merchants. students. trav-
eIers and the like. who heretofore have had
difficulty in gaining admission to this coun-
try because of the many fraudulent certln-
Gates issued to them, and to coolies, VINO
are not entitled to certificates In any event.
We went over the entire matter thoroughly,
the conference being perfectly satisfactory
to US.
The President suggested that in the
course of five or six months we again prlnS
the matter TO his attention in the light OF
the experience of that length of time In
working under the order.
The President said he was determined
that the diplomatic and consular repre-
should perform their duties thoroughly
and impartially, and that the law as to the
issuance of certificates to members of the
exempt Chinese classes should be complied
with absolutely. He added that any officer
of the United States who issued false GER
tiffcate would lose his official head the In
slant his misconduct was discovered.
I'VE also considered with the President
the eight-hour law and the difficulties
which we had encountered in securing its
enforcement on government work. We In
stanced violations OF the law and re-
quested him to consider them. He asked
US to present the facts in a formal docu-
ment he refusing to take up the subject at
once. Meantime he expressed himself as
being in entire sympathy with the law and
insisted that It must be observed. We
pointed out to him that officers of the War
Department. under whose direction much
government work is done. were not inclined
to insist upon an observance of the law,
and many of them had declined to regard 1t
as their duty TO bring suit to compe! its en-
f0rcement. The President agreed with us
that the government officers ought 10 see
70 It that the eight-hOur law was obeyed.
"Our talk with the President was most
satisfactory. We discussed generally the
condition and interests of labor, considered
the subject Of more rigid regulations for the
exclusion from this country Of vicious and
iiiterate immigrants and talked Of some leg
islation along these lines which we regard
as deSlra bic. -