The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-03-29

Washington, Special. - President
Roosevelt received large body of the
representatives Of organized labor at
the White House and talked 10 them |
about their urgent request for the en-
actment Of l"bor measures now pend |
ing before Congress.
Samuel Gompers, president, AMI |
Frank Morrison, secretary, Of the |
American Federation Of Labor. head |
ed the delegation, which consisted of !
about n hundred members OF the ex-
ecntive council of the American Fed
erntion Of Labor and officials of prac-
tically all the important labor organ
izatiOnS Of the country.
Secretar; Morrison read To the
President memorial of the executive
council of the American Federation,
urging action on the various demands
for legislation being made by the or
ganized labor interests of the country.
The memorial dwelt particularly on
the eight hour law and its enforce
nent of government work, including
the Panama Canal; and the immigra-
ton laws, especially the Chinese ex-
| clusiOn laws. President Roosevelt re-
piled in an extended address. The
| president said
ANTI-INJuNCTION BILL STRONG
ENOUGH.
"Mr. Gompers: II your body OBJ
| jects to the passage of the proposed
aEti-injunction bill, | have no eues-
tion that you can stop it, for there Is
not a capitalist concerned who, simply
as capitalist, i; not against it, though
believe that goodly number of
capitalists and wage-earners who are
concerned primarily as citizens favor
it. The law was worked and substan-
TALLY whipped into its present shape
at number of conferences between
representatives Of the railroad organ
ization, OF the Department of Jus
tice, and Of the Bureau Of Corpora
ton, with me. 1t goes as far as ]
personally think it should 60, in limit
ing the right Of injunction; at any
rate, no arguments have hitherto been
advanced which make me think it
should 60 further. / do not believe it
has any chance of passing because
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 II you
think it is not far enough, why, you
will have no earthly difficulty in kill
| :x, @l,o Hill DorSono11, T fbinR tho
proposed law a most admirable one,
and l very sincerely wish it would be
put through.
HAS ENJOINED ONLY CAPITAL
"As for the right of injunction, it
absolutely necessary to have this
power lodged in the courts, though
of course any abuse of the power is
strongly to be reprobated. During the
four and half years that have been
President, I do not remember an in
stance where the government has
invoked the right Of injunction
against a combination Of laborers.
We have invoked it certainly score
of times against combinations of cap
ital; I think possibly oftener. Thus,
though we have secured the issuance
of iniunctions in a number of cases
against capitalistic combinations, it
has happened that we have never
tried to secure an injunction against
a commission Of labor. But under
stand me, gentlemen: if I ever
,, thought it necessary, if ever I thought
a combination of laborers were doing
wrong, I would apply for an injunc-
; ton against them just as quick as
a against so many capitalists.
Referring to its legislative referen-
: ces, the President said he would not
, receive the petition but for its affect
, ing the Executive. Regarding their
criticism Of his signing the Panama
canal appropriation bill containing the
, provision for non-appllcation OF the
eight hour law, the President said that
if their statement meant that no OPP
portunity was given for hearing be-
b fore him, that statcmen: is not In ac-
Il cordanee with the facts. He says
n there was 10 request to him for a
e hearing. He announced his emphatic
+ belief in the eight-hour law for oul
r own people in our own country" but
e that an eignt-hour law for the Pana'
1. ma canal '.is an absurdity," as the
l. conditions Of labor are so different
7 The President said that "we are driv
It en- to extreneties in the effort to gel
S any kind Of labor at all" in Panama
l. and that the government is working
chiefly with negro labor from th'
q West Indies, and he commented or
. their habitual dropping off from work
"You hamper me-" he said, "in th'
: effort to get for You what thinl
- you ought to have in connection witt
the eight-hour law when you make
request that is indefensible, and t.