The Washington times., 1906-03-07
PRESIDENT SIGNS
JOINT RESOLUTION,
BUT IS SKEPTICAL
Calls for Investigation of
Railroad-Oil Com
bineS.
SAYS MONEY IS NEEDED
Doubtful of Anything Def
mite Without More
Legislation.
SAYS MONEY IS NEEDED


President Roosevelt sent message
20 Congress this afternoon announcing
that he had signed the Tiilman-Gilles-
pie joint resolution demanding an in
quiry by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission Nutc the subject of railroad dis
examinations and monopolies in coal and
oil He says that ne signed the Teso-
luton with hesitation. because in the
form in which it was passed. it achieves
very little and may achieve nothing"
The message reads:
Il have signed the joint resolution
-instrucunE the Interstate Commerce
Commission 10 make exasnins tions into
the subject of railroad determinations
and monopolies in coal and oil, and re-
port on the same from time 10 time.
Il have signed il with hesitation be
cause IN the form in which II was passed
II achieves very little and may achleNe
nothing; and il is highly undesirable
that resolution OF this kind shall be
come law in such form as to give the
impression of insincertty. that Is, OF pre-
tending to do something which really IS
not done. But after much hesitation
concluded To sign the resolution because
5fs defects can be remedied by legiSla-
lion. which u hereby ash for; and il
must be understood that unless this sub
sequent legislation is granted the pres
6nt resolution mast be mainly, ana may
be entirely, imperative.
Before specifying what this Iesis-
lation is I wish to call attention 10
one or two preliminary facts. In the
first place a part Of the investl ga uon
requested by the House OF Represent
ativss in the resolution adopted Feb
ruary Is. 1905, relating 10 the oil m
dustry, and a further part having 10 90
with the anthracite coal Industry has
been for some time under investigation
by the Department OF Commerce ana
Labor. These investt cations, am IN
formed, are approaching completion.
and before Congress adJouTns L shali
submit 10 YOU the preliminary report
of these inVesti cations Cntll the@c
reports are completed the Interstate
Commerce Commission could net en-
deavor TO carry out so mucn OF the |
resolution of Congress as refers 70 the I
ground thus already covered without
running the risk of seeing the two n
vestigations conflict and therefore rem
der each other more or less nuSatoly
IN the second place J cali your al
tention TO the fact that If an lnNestisa-
lion Of the nature proposed IN TINS lolnI
resolution is thoToughly and eIIScIiV;tLs erect ;-,
conducted, il VIII result IN giving I'M
Eutnity from criminal prosecution TO all
persons who are called. sworn, ana con
strained by compulsory process OF laWs
10 testify as witnesses. though OF course
such immunity from prosecution Is not [
given TO those from whom statements or
information. merely, in contradlsJlnc~ |
Jion TO sworn testimony. Is obtained
This is not at all TO say that such !
Investigations should not be undertaken |
Publicity can by itself often accomplish
court of public judgment may secure /
such results where the courts or law are /
DoWerieSS. There are many cases WneFe /
an investigation securing complete pub /
licity about abuses and giving Congress |
the material on which to proceed In IN
enactment of laws. Is more useful than /
a criminal prosecution can possibly be. /
But il should not be provided Tor bE law /
without clear understanding that lt !
may be an alternative instead Of an I
additional remedy that Is, that TO carry 1
#H.~~aH falr
10 the successful prosecution OF the Of !
fences disclosed. The official body direct !
ed by Congress TO make the investiga- |
ton must. OF course. carry out its dlrec- |
ticu. and therefore the direction $50
not be given without full appreciation /
of what ii means.
The direction contained IN the !
resolution will remain almost inOp- |
erative. unless money is provided to |
carry out the Investigations in queS-
ton and unless the commission in /
administer oaths and compel the !
attendance of witnesses. As the Tesolu- |
tion now is. the commission. which Is /
very busy with its legitimate work. and /
which has no extra money at its dis /
DOsaI. would be able 10 make the in |
Vestigation only in the most partial and /
unsatisfactory manner: and moreover
it is questionable whether il could, un-
der this resolution. administer oaths at /
all. or compel the attendance of wit
IF this power We're disputed nv
tie parties investigated, the fnveStiga-
ton would be held up for a year or
two, until the courts passed upon it !
in which case, during the period of
waiting, the commission could investi-
gate only TO the extent and in the
manner already provided under its or
Eanic law; SO that the passage of the
resolution would achieve no good re-
suit whatever
May Bar Prosecution.
The President calls attention To thA
fact that the investigation may prove
bar to criminal prosecution by giving
immunity to such persons as may be |
compelled to testify before the commits
sion: also that the investigation NAV |
possibly conflict with the present in
vestigation of the oil and coal indus
tries being conducted by the DEPART /
ment of Commerce and Labor. These
are approaching compile |
tion, he says, and the results viii be
sent 20 Congress before its adjournment
The message concludes I according
~ recommend TO Congress the serious
consideration of just what they wish
the commission TO do, and how far they
bit incom patibility of conducting an
investigation like this. and also of
proceeding criminally in a court OF law:
and. furthermore that q sufficient sum-
say $4,000 be at once added To the cur
rent appropriation 70 rthe commission
so as 70 enable them to do the work in
uiCdteu III tnofOuRh ana complete
manner; while at the same time the
power is explicitly conferred upon them
10 administer oathS and compel the at
tendance of witnesses in making the in
Nestigstion in question which covers
work quite apart from their usual du-
tles II seems unwise to requpire an
investigation bN a commission, and then
not TO furnish either the full legal power
OF the money. both of which are neces-
sary TO render the investigation effec-