Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-08
RESOLUTION is APPROVED
President Agrees to Request for information
Regarding Railroads and Trade.
OTHER PROVISIONS MUST BE MADE
M. B0oscvelt Sees Opportunity of
Preventing Prosecutions fOr Of
lenses IL Present Plan
fs Carried OFT.

WASHINGTON. March :. - President
Roosevelt TO-DAY sent q message TO con-
gress announcing his signature 10 the joint
resolution recently passed inFtructing the
Interstate Commerce commission TO make
examination into the subject Of railroad
determinations and rnonopoHes In coal and
oil He says frankly that he signed st
with hesitation because II may achieve
little or nothing. He indicates. 100, that If
he investigation proposed by the resolu-
ton is conducted thoroughly il will result
IN giving immunity from criminal prosecu-
ton 10 all persons who are connected and
swofn as witnesses.
In the opinion Of the president the direc-
ton contained in the resolution will re-
main practically imperative unless money
be provided to carry on the investigation
and the commission be authorized TO take
testimony under Its provisions He sug-
Eesth, therefore, that congress give serious
consideration 20 just what il desires the
Interstate Commerce commission TO do,
and that $4,000 he placed al the disposal
of the commission to defray the expenses
Of the proposed investigation.
Message of President.
The message in full follows
To the Senate and House Of Representa-
ives ! hHVe signed the joint resolution
AuhlTuCIfnE Inc Interstate commerce COLT
mission to make examinations into the
subject of railroad determinations and mo
nOpolies in coal and oil and report on the
same from time TO time. have signed il
with hesitation. because in the form II was
passed IL achieves very little and may &C
complish nothing and II Is highly undesir
able that a resolution Of this kind shall be
come law in such form as TO give the i'm
precision Of insincerity, that is, of pretend
ing 10 90 something which really II not
done. Bun after much hesitation con-
cluocd 10 sEE the resolution, because It's
which Is.bereby ask for; and II must De
understood THAI unless this subsequent
Legislation Is granted the present resolution
must be mainly, and may be entirely in
operative
Before specifying what this Legislation is
I wish To cab attention TO one or two pre-
. liminary facts. In the tirst place, q part
>--f the investigation required by the house
of representatives in the resolution adopted
j chr nary 10. 1865, relnttnE TO the oil indus
try. and further part having to do with
the anthracite coal industry, has been Tor
some time under consideration by the De
partmept of Commerce and Labor. These
Investigate tons, i am Informed, are ap-
preaching completion, and before congress
ad1ourns ] shall submit 10 you the pre-
liminary reports OF these Investigations.
Until THESE reports are completed the In
terstatc Commerce commission could not
cndeuVor To curry out go much of the reso-
tuition OF congress- as refers 10 the ground
thus already covered without running the
risk of seeing the two Investigations con-
tlict and therefore render each more or less
negatory-
May Prevent Prosecutions.
In the second place. call your attention
10 The fact that II an investigation of the
nature proposed in this joint resolution Is
thoroughly and effectively conducted il
viii result In giving immunity from Grim
mai prosecution TO all persons who are
called. sworn and constrained by compul-
sury process OF law TO testify witnesses
though. of course immunity from prose
Cutiun is not given 10 those from whom
statements or Information merely in con-
tradction 10 sworn testimony is obIained
This Is not AT all 10 say that all iuvestigB-
tiOnS should not he undertaken Publicity
can by itself often accomplish extraordi.
nary results for good, and the court OF
public Judgment may secure such results
where the courts of law are Dowerless
There are many cases where an investigR.
ton securing complete publicity about
abuses and giving congress the materia
on which 20 proceed in the enactment o.
laws is more useful than a criminal prose
cution can possibly be. Bun IL should no
he provided for by law without a cleai
understanding that IL may be RlternB
tive instead OF an additional remedy-tha
is that 10 carry the investigation ma,
serve as q bar to the successful prosecu
body directed by congress 10 make the in
veSrigation must. of course. carry out IL
direction and therefore the direction SHOULD
mt he given without full appreciation o
what u means.
But the direction contained in the join