Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-03-22
The Nine=Hour Law

The Nine=Hour Law
The memorial dwelt particularly on
the nine-hour law and its enforcement
in government works, including the
Panama canal, and the immigration
laws, especially the Chinese exclusion
law.
President Gompers and James Dun
can of Quincy, Mass, first vice presi-
dent of the federation and president
Of the Granite Cutters union, followed
with brief addresses on the lines of
the memorial.
President Roosevelt, after listening
tc the statements, replied in an eX-
tended address. On the subject of
general immigration and the exclusion
of Chinese labor, the president indi-
catetd that he was in practical accord
with them, but on some other matters
he differed with them radically.
The text of the presidents remarks
was given out at the White House
this evening as follows:
Presidents Remarks
"Mr Gompers: If your body OBJ
jects to the passage of the antl-ln-
junction bill, l have no question that
you can stop it, for there is not a
capitalist concerned who simply as
a capitalist is not against it, though
believe that a goodly number of
both capitalists and wage earners who
are concerned primarily as citizens ia
vor it.
"The law was worked over and sub
stantially whipped into its present
shape at a number of conferences be-
tween representatives of the railroad
organizations and the department. OF
justice and the bureau of corporations
with me.
Should Not Go Farther
ut goes as far as personally think it
should go i'm limiting the right of in
junction; at any rate no arguments
have hitherto been advanced which
make me think it should go farther.
do not believe it has any chance Of
passage, because there has been
great criticism in both houses of
congress against the attitude of the
administration in going so far as we
have gone; and if you think it is not
far enuogh, why you will have no diff
Guilty in killing the bill. Personally l
think the proposed law a most admir-
able one and l very sincerely wish 1t
would be put through.
LAS for the right of injunction it is
absolutely necessary to have this power
lodged in the courts, though, of course,
any abuse of the power is strongly
reprobated; during the four and a half
years that / have been president, l do
not remember an instance where the
government has invoked the right of
Injunction against combinations of la
borers We have invoked it certainly
a score of times against combinations
of capital think possibly oftener.
Tells What He Would Do
But understand me, gentlemen, if 1
ever thought it necessary, if / thought
combination of laborers were doing
wrong, | would apply for an injunction
against them just as quick as against
so many capitalists.
You speak OF the eight-hour law.
Your criticism, so far as it relates to
the executive, bears upon the sigma
ture of the appropriation bill contain
ing the money for expenditure ON the
Panama canal, with the provision that
the eight-hour law shall not there ap-
ply. If your statement is intended to
mean that no opportunity was given
for hearing, then the statement is not
in accordance with the facts
Received No Requests
"There was ample opportunity that
any one could be heard, but not a
single request for such a hearing came
to me. | received, however, some hum
dreds of kilograms and letters request
ing the veto of the entire appropria-
ton bill because it contained that pro-
viso. Frankly, / found it difficult to
believe that you were writing and tel
egraphing without any kind of knowl-
edge of conditions in the case.
81 believe emphatically in the eight
hour law for our own people in our own
country. But the conditions of labor