The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-22
PRESIDENT in REPLY Y
STATES HIS 20 SITION
Thinks Law Now Pending Goes
Far Enough, But That Mr.
Gonpers Can Kill II. 4
i..ss No Eight-Hour Law
on the Isth-
mus.
(By Associated Prcss.l

q sNASEilNGTON,a March 32l.--IreSlocnle ets
Roosevelt received a largo body of reps
.resentatives OF organized labor this af
iternoorl at tho Whito House and talked
TO them about their urgent request for
the enactment of labor measures now
pending before Congress.
Samue. Gompcrs. president, and Frank
Morrison. secretary, OF the American
Federation OF Labor, headed the delcEa-
ton. which consisted OF about a hun
t,reG members OF the Executive Council
of the American Federation Of Labor,
and officials OF practically all the ini-
portant labor organizations Of the cou..-
try, ss 5 Al 8 Y
Secretary Morrison read to the prcsi1 f
dent n memorial of the Executive Coun-
eli of the American Federation. urging
action on the various demands for lcGts.s
5lation being made by the organized labor
interests of the country. The memorial
sdwelt particularly on the eight -hour law Y
and it's enforcement on government work.
Including the Pannma Canal, and the
Immigration laws. especially the Chinese
exclusion laws.
President Favors the Law.
& President Roosevelt replied in anHes-
tended address, He said.
Mr.. Ciompers.-f your body objects
to the passage of the proposed anti-in-
junction bill, have no question that yott
can stop It., for there Is not u capitalist,
concerned who. simply as II capitalist. IS,
not against 1t. though I believe that q
|agoodly number OF capitalists and wage
workers who arc concerned primarily as
citizens, favor it,. 81
The law was worked over and sud-
stantially whipped into It's present shape
Mt a number of conferences between rep
resentatives ofstlie raillDad organizations.
of tie Department of Justice aud of the
Bureau OF Corporations with me. II goes
ns far us personally think 1t should gOs
In limiting tile right oss injunction; at
any rate. no arguments have Hitherto,
been advanced which make inc think it
should go further. II do not bel tcrc 1t has
any chance of passing, because there has
been great criticism in both houses of
Congress against the attitude of the nd
niinstration In going SO fur MS we have,
gone; and If yon think 1t is not far
enough, why you will have no enrthly diff
ficulty in killing the bill. Personally II
think the proposed law II most admirable
one, and very sincerely wish 1t would be-
put through.
The Right Of Injunction.
AS for the right OF injunction, 1t 1t
absolutely necessary to have this power
lodged in the courts. though. of course
any abuse of the power is strongly tSl
be- Reproduced. During the four and A
half years that have been president, q
do not remember any instance where &
the government has invoked the right
OF Injunction against combination OF
1aborers. We have invoked it certainly
q score of times against combinations of
capital; think possibly oftener. Thus, e
though We have secured the issuancesofs
sinjunctions In q number of cases Iasainst
9capitalistic combinations. II has happen
ed that VIC have never tried to secure
an injunction against q combination of /.
labor. But understand me. gentlemen, II
/ ever thought 1t necessary. if thought
a combination of laborers We're doing
wrong. | would apply for IN Injunction
against them just as quick nc against
SO many CAPITALISTS #
Canal propriation.
Referring To its legislative references,
the President said he would gees recetv,,sS
tho petition but for its effecting tho Il
5executive. H Regarding their criticism OF
his signing the Panama Cnnnl Sappropria- ~ ri
tion8 bill contnlalng the visonA for non XII
application of the elght-iour law, tll,sSs
President said Sif their statement moan ts
lshearinE before him that stat nent wa 5sSS
l#not In accorlnnco with the facts. 8s EIsss
s,lld III i.
=,
llel tl.as y an, wns
oMslf II
n.ss ~, 1,,,,, s "a
l8contitionS Of labor ar., so different sss
-. IN IN ef,ort Is pot my
,,na ~ IN IN. al mn. IN Panama. n,,d
Ttlmt tbs government lis working chic y;,
i,l,r,, fytAyn