The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-11-22
TALKED TOR. R, MEM
PRESIDENT TELLS EilfLsYE,
WHAT he DEsIlEs DUNE.
Rate legislation Not intended TO
lnjure Railroads., but TO Correct
Certain Abuses Whlch Have
Grown Too Common Overlap.
issiizsiion Touched lyon.

Washington, Nov. 16.-Addressing
delegation representing the I'VE great
labor organizations connected with
interchangeable engineers, dremen,
conductors, switchmen and trainmen-
who presented protest against rail.
road freight rate Liquidation, President
Roosevelt said:
"0entlemen, have Just word that
l want to cay to you. In the first
place, / trust need hardly say that no
delegation will ever be more welcome
at the White House than such dele
cation a. this. The interests of the
wage workers and the interests OF the
tillers Of the soil must be particularly
close to all American public men
among other reasons for the reason
that II they prosper all other glasses
will prosper likewise, 90 q matter Of
course.
"As said the other day to tho rep.
ressentatives of organised labor at At
lanta, 1 shall do every thoing in my
power for the laboring men except to
do ANYTHING wrong; for the man who
will do anything wrong in the nominal
interest Of another man will also do
wrong against this same other man II II
ever becomes to his interest to do 20.
"Your associations deserve peculiar
reward because you have developed to
marked degree the very qualities
that all bodies Of wage workers should
develop-the intelligence, the regard
for the future, the self respect mingled
with the respect for others, the power
of self. restraint, which are absolutely
essential to any body Of men which ID
TO move upward and onward.
Rates Not In Que stl0n.
"With most Of the general state.
ments that you make agree, but am
not sure that agree with your appli.
cation Of them.
"There has been comparatively little
complaint to me of the railroad rates
being on the whole too high. The com.
plants that have been made to me
have been Of improper discrimination
in railroad rates.
| "For instance, In two recent oasei
affecting great corporations, the com.
plants that have been made to me
have been that they are too low a
regards certain big shippers; the com
plant in both these cases 10 about the
differentisl, the difference of treat
ment Of two sets Of users of the rail
ways, tho discrimination 10 in favor Of
one set Of shippers 40 against another
set Of shippers. Whether this 10 just
or not am not prepared to say.
81 very deeplv appreciate and sym
pathize with the feeling You cypress a
to the community Of interest between
the man who actually does the han
ding Of trains, at the brakes, in the
engine cabs, a. a fireman. a. q con
ductor and the man who has to do al
q capitalist or a. q higher employe Of
the capitalist with the management Of
the road.
Lesson for People.
81 feel that one of the lessons thai
cannot be over.inoulcated 10 the lessor
of identity of interest among our PEG
pie % Q whole. l do not have to tel
| OOuy VI RoOP1o AA0 suAe BOm0tuA0S
do have to tell some other bodies, ant
that 10 If you have not got at the head
Of railroad q man who can make q
success Of IL, the wage workers on tina,
railroad cannot prosper.
"If You will look at my Raleigh
speech and nay other recent utterancel
you will see the principle clearly COL
forth.
II have said again and again that
would not tolerate for ono moment any
injustice to q railroad any moro than
would tolerate any injustice by rail
road.
81 have said again and again that
would remove public Official who i'm
properly yielded to a public clamol
against railroad, no matter how pop
ular that clsmor might be-, Just al
quickly 90 l would remove q public
official who rendered an improper serv
ice to the railroad at the expense Of thu
public, but am convinced that thers
must be increased regulatory and 81
pervisory power exercised BY the gov
eminent over the railroads.
would Go sch rsrfer.
Indeed. would like II exercised X
much greater extent than have any
idea Of pressing at the moment. Fol
instance. would greatly like TO hav'
Il exercised in the matter Of over.cap
italization.