The Irish standard., 1906-03-10
probe FOR COAL
AND OIL TRAFFIC
PRESIDENT SIGNS JOINT REso.
LUTON, BUT Is DOUBTFUL
REGARDING RESULTS.

4AES4OENT S10NB JOINT RESO.
LUTON, BUT Is DOUBTFUL
REGARDING RESULTS.
SENDS A MESSAGE TO
CONGRESS ON MATTER
Indicates That . Thorough Invest.
cation Will Prevent Criminal Pros
ecution Of All Witnesses-Aprro-
priation Necessary.
Washington, March S.-President
Roosevelt Wednesday sent message
to the congress announcing his sigma.
ture to the joint resolution recently
passed instructing the interstate COM
merce commission to make eXamina.
ton into the subject Of railroad dis
ordinations and monopolies in coal
and oil. He says frankly that he has
signed it with hesitation because it
may achieve little or nothing. He in
dicates. too, that if the investigation
proposed by the resolution is conducted
thoroughly it will result in giving i'm.
munity from criminal prosecution to
all persons who are called and sworn
as witnesses. In the opinion of the
president the direction contained in
the resolution will remain practically
in operation unless money be provid-
ed to carry on the investigation and
the commission he authorized to take
testimony under its provisions. He
suggests, therefore, that congress give
serious consideration to just what it
desires the interstate commerce COM
mission to do and that the sum of $780,
600 be placed at the disposal Of the
commission to defray the expenses of
the proposed investigation. The mes.
sage in full follows:
Defects Can Be Remedied.
"To the Senate and House of Rep.
resentatives: have signed the joint
resolution 'instructing the interstate
commerce commission to make exam
nations into the subject of railroad
determinations and monopolies in coal
and oil, and report on the same from
time to time have signed it with
hesitation. because in the form in
which it was passed it achieves very
little and may achieve nothing, and
1t is highly undesirable that resolu-
tion of this kind shall become law
in such form as to give the impression
of insincerity; that is of pretending
to do something which really is not
done. But after much hesitation I
concluded to sign the resolution be.
cause its defects can be- remedied by
legislation which hereby ask for;
and it must be understood that unless
this subsequent legislation is granted
the present resolution must be main.
u, and may be entirely. imperative.
Before specifying what this legis.
lation is l wish to call attention to
one or two preliminary facts. In the
first place, a part of the investigation
requested by the house of representa-
tives in the resolution adopted Feb.
ruary Is, 1905, relating to the oil in
dustry, and further, part having to
do with the anthracite coal industry,
has been for some time under investi-
cation by the department of commerce
and labor. The investigations. am
Informed, are approaching completion.
and before congress adjourns shall
submit to you the preliminary reports
Of these Investigations. Until these
reports are completed the interstate
commerce commission could not en-
deavor to carry out SO much Of the res.
olution of congress as refers to the
ground thus already covered without
running the risk of seeing the two IN.
vestigations conflict and therefore rem.
der each other more or less nugatory.
Publicity Often Effective.
"In the second place, l call your at
tention to the fact that II an investi-
CATION of the nature proposed in this
joint resolution Is thoroughly and ef-
fectfvely conducted, it will result in
giving immunity from criminal prose-
cution to all persons who are called,
sworn and constrained by compulsory
process of law to testify as witnesses;
though, of course, such immunity from
prosecution is not given to those from
whom statements or information
merely, in contradistinction to sworn
testimony, is obtained. This is not at
all to say that such investigations
should not be undertaken. Publicity
can by itself accomplish extraordinary
results for good; and the court of pub
lie judgment may secure such results
where the courts of law are powerless
There are many cases where an inves-
tigation securing complete publicity
about abuses and giving congress the
material on which to proceed in the
enactment Of laws, is more useful than
q criminal prosecution can possibly be.
But 1t should not be provided for by
law without clear understanding tina;
it may be an alternative instead of an
additional remedy; that is, that to
carry on the investigation may serve
as bar to the successful prosecution
of the offenses disclosed. The official
body directed by congress to make the
investigation must, of course, carry GU.
its direction, and therefore the direc-
ton should not be given without full
appreciation of what it means.
Appropriation Necessary.
But the direction contained in the
Joint resolution which ] have signed
will remain almost imperative unless
money is provided to carry out the in
vestigations In question, and unless tho