Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-03-08
ROOSEVELT NOT
TO Be TRAPPED
Calls Congress on Its Little
Scheme to Fool the People in
Investigation Plan.

WASHINGTON. March S.-President
Roosevelt in Il message to congress an
nouncing his signature to the Gillespie
joint resolution %instructing the inter
state m commission to make
examination into the subject of rail
road determinations and %monOpolies
in coal and oil virtually charges con
gress with insincerity in adopting the
resolution. He intimates that Messrs.
Gillespie and Tillman were tricked by
the representatives of railroad inter
eStS.
The message says in part:
81 have signed the joint resolution
'in%structiug the interstate
commission to make examinations in
to the subject of railroad discrimina-
tons and %monopoIies in coal and oil
and report On the same from time TO
time
IL have signed it with hesitation, be
cause III the form in which il was
passed it achieves very little and may
achieve nothing, and it is highly unde-
Sirable that Il resolution of this kind
SAibAi J" III Gh1l W 90 w
give the impression of insincerity-
that is, of pretending TO do something
which really is not done But after
much hesitation | concluded TO sign
the resolution because its defects can
be remedied by legislation which |
hereby ask for, and it must be under
stood that unless this subsequent legis-
latiou is granted the present resolution
must be mainly and may be entirely
imperative.
Before specifying what this legisla-
ton is | wish to call attention to one
or two preliminary facts. A part of
the investigation requested by the
house of representatives in the resolu-
ton adopted on Feb. Is, 1905, relating
to the oil industry and a further part
having to do with the anthracite coal
industry have been for some time I'M
der investigation by the department of
commerce and labor. These investiga-
tons. | am Informed, are approaching
completion, and before congress adj
journs | shall submit to you he pre-
liminary reports of these investiga'
tons.
Until these reports are completed
the interstate commerce commission
could not endeavOr to carry out so
much of the resolution of congress as
refers to the ground it already covers
without running the risk of seeing the
Two investigations conflict and there
fore render each one more or less nu-
yatory.
Il recommend to congress the seri-
Gus consideration of Just what they
wish the commission to do and how far
they wish it to go, having in view the
possible incompatibility of conducting
IN investigation like this and of also
proceeding criminally in a court of
.aw and Furthermore that Il sufficient
sum. say $4,000, be at once added to
he current appropriation for the com
mission SO as to enable them to do the
work indicated in a thorough and COM
olete manner, while at the same time
he power is explicitly conferred upon
hem to administer OathS and compel
he attendance of witnesses in making
the investigation in question, which
overs work quite apart from their
usual duties.
1T seems unwise to require an in
yestigation by the commission and not
% furnish either the full power or the
money, both of which are necessary to
'euder the investigation effective"
The reading of he presidents mes
sage to congress announcing his sigma
lure to the Tillman-Gillespie reSolu-
ion, in which he referred to the mac
lion of congress, was received with
merriment in the senate. 1t suggested
he days when President Cleveland
vas in the White House and occasion
ally pointed out in his messages where
n congress had failed to meet his eX-
oactations.
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