The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-23

FAVORS S-H0UR DAY, BUT
NOT ON THE CANAL WORK
Also Stands for Rigid Chinese
Exclusion of the COOlie
Classes.

WASHINGTON. March 2.-Presidcnt
Roosevelt received a large body of repre-
ecntatives of organized labor Wednesday
at the White House and talked &c
them about their urgent request for the
enactment of labor measures now pend
ing before Congress
Samuel Gompers. President, and Frank
Morrison, Secretary. of tho American Fed
Grafton OF Labor, headed the delegation
which consisted OF about a hundred mem
bers OF the executive council OF the amer
lean Federation OF Labor and oHlclals OF
the organizations which comprise the
Federation.
Practically all OF the important labor
:ented
Secretary Morrison read to the Presi,
dent memorial OF the executive councll
of the American Federation, urging nc
ton on the various demands for legtsla-
ton being made by the organized labor
interests of ,he country. The memorlal
dwelt particularly on the cight-hour law
and It's enforcement on government ~orKs'
iIcludlng the Panama Canal and the I'M
migration laws, especially the Chinese
exclusion laws
Gompers Delivers Address.
President Gompers and James Duncan
Of Quincy Mass, First Nlce-President OF
the Federation and President OF tho Gran
ite Cutters union. followed with brief ad-
dresses on the lines Of the memorial
President Roosevelt after listening to
address. on the subjects of general I'M
rdigra;ion and the exclusion of Chinese
labor the President indicated that he was
in practical accord with them. but on
come other matters he differed with them
radically,
The text OF the Presidents remarks
given out at the White House TINS even
Ing follows:
MIR Gompers II your body objects to
the passage OF the proposed antl-injunc-
tton bill ] have no question thnt you can
otf lnT @ moi a
ccrned who simply as capitalist Is not
against IL; though / believe that Soodly
number both OF capitalists and wage
workers who are concerned primarily as
citizens favor II.
The law was worked over and sub
stuntially whipped into Its present shape
at number OF conferences between
representatives OF the railroad organiza-
tons and the department of Justice and
the bureau of corporations with me IL
gees as far / personally think IL
should go, in limiting the rights OF in
junction. at any rate no arguments have
hitherto been advanced which make me
l!eye 1t has any chance of passing, be-
cause there has been great criticism In
both houses OF Congress against the at
titude Of the administration In going so
far as We have gone; and IL you think
IL Is not far enough why, you Will have
no earthly dificulty in killing the bill
Personally. think the proposed law
most admirable one, and | very sincerely
wish II would be put through.
Believes Injunction Necessary.
"As for tho right of injunction. 1t is alb
solutely necessary to have this power
lodged In the courts. though OF course
any abuse of the power is strongly to be
Teprobated. During tho four and n half
years that have been President 1 do not
remember an instance where the govern
ment has invoked the right of Injunction
against combinations OF laborers. We
have invoked II certainly a score OF times
against combinations of capital, ] think
possibly oftener Thus though we havs
secured the issuance OF injunctions In q
number Of cases against capitalstic COM
binatlons It has happened that we have
never tried to secure an injunction against
A combination of labor. But understand
me, gentlemen, II | ever thought II nee
essary; II / thought a combination of la
borers were doing wrong. ! would apply
for injunction against them just as
quick as against so many capitalists
The S-Hour Question.
Now I come to the general subject Of
your petition. | wish In the first place
TO state my regret that you did not d.
vorce so much of the petition as refers
to the action of the executive from so
much as refers to the action of the legis-
lative branch. because I cannot consider
any petition that you make that reflects
upon the coordinate branch Of the gov
ernment or that makes any charges