Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-20
At THE White HOUSE
Talk on the Court-Martial OF
Capt. KoehIer.
BROOKLYN MACHINISTS' PAY
Claim That Private Firms Pay More
Than the Government.
BREAK IN COLORADO RIVER
Conference Looking to Its Repair at
once-Favors Beveridge Child
Labor Bill.
BROOKLYN MACHINISTS' PAY
BREAK IN COLORADO RIVER


Labor Bill.
There was quite an interesting chapter
to the court-martial case of Capt. Louis M.
Koehler. United States army, at the White
House today. The President received
visit from D. R. Anthony, jr., of Leaven-
worth, Kan, a brother-in-law Of Capt.
Koehler. A letter written by Mr.. Anthony
to the President has figured extensively In
the court-martial, and the chief executive
has been accused of violating a confidence
in sending this letter to Maj. Gen. Wood.
In the letter Capt. Anthony called atten-
ton to his relationship to Capt Koehler,
and asserted that Capt koehler had not
received just and fair treatment at the
hands of Maj. Scott in the first court-mar-
tial. This letter was introduced in evil
dence at the second trial of Capt. Koehler,
charged with crticising his superiors in
letter of appeal to the Secretary of War.
Upon his arraignment for writing this let
ter to the War Department the letter Of
Mr.. Anthony to the President was pre-
scented. 80
A legal controversy followed the introduce
ton of the letter, it being claimed that the
letter WIS private anu Idu uO TlSul DSloIc
the court. being priviligeded. The question
was never before raised in a court-martial.
Capt. Anthony, one of the most influential
republicans in Kansas and the editor of
the Leavenworth Times, saw the President
today in company with Senator Long and
Mrs. Koehler, the wife of Capt koehler.
Capt Anthony said that he called for the
special purpose of informing the President
that in no way did he regard the letter
he had written as strictly personal one,
and that, on the other hand. he was per-
fectly satisfied that the letter should be
regarded as just as public as any other
feature of the court martial.
Pay of Brooklyn Machinists.
Representative Calder of Brooklyn. NJ Y,
today presented to President Roosevelt
representative of the machinists employed
in the Brooklyn navy yard. Joseph Rorke.
Before the visit to the White House these
two men had called on Secretary Metcalf
of the Navy Department and presented
him with the facts and figures favoring an
increase in the salaries of the machinists
in the Brooklyn yard. The figures showed
that frst-class machiniStS receive $500 per
day; second class, 1928; third class, 2.SS,
and fourth class. $24S. 1t was declared
that these wages are far below those paid
to men of the same class in private employ
ment in New York. and most of the other
cities of the country, and that they should
be given better salaries. 1t is commended
by the machinists that first-class men
should receive at least 81 per day, and that
the lowest salary paid any machinists
should not be less than IS per day. A. was
stated to Mr. Metcalf that the wages board
of the navy yard has recently raised the
wages of thrty-two different trades en-
ployed in the navy yard, but has done
nothing for the machinists. 1t Is stated
that the machinists have received no in
crease in pay for twelve years. while there
has been tremendous advance in the prices
of the necessaries of life.
To Repair Break In Colorado River.
long conference was held at the White
House today to devise plans for the repair
of the break in the Colorado river across
the Mexican border, which is doing mil
lions of dollars in damage in southern
California and threatening to engulf an
immense area of territory. 1t was decided
that the President would write letter to
f. H. Hartman, head of the California
Development Company, suggesting that the
company repair the break at once and
leave to the United States government the
matter Of negotiating with Mexico as to
the future Of the river. Under concessions
from Mexico the development company has
the right to do this
The President may Indicate to Mr.. Harri-
man that he will use his efforts to have
the government vote an appropriation of
partial reimbursement for the money to
be expended in repairing the break The
cost will be at least 100000
Copies of the letter will be sent to the
governor of California, chambers of com
merce of the state and to the Mexican
government.
1t was clearly pointed out at the con-
ference that it will be impossible for
Congress to appropriate money for the
repair, even if it desired to do SO, until
toward the close of the session. while the
break in the river requires immediate
work of repair.
Those present at the conference were
besides the President, Senator Flint OF
California, Charles d. Walcott director
of the geological survey, and F. H. New
ell, chief Of the reclamation service.
President for Beveridge Bill.
The President received DR.. Felix Adler,
chairman Of the national child labor COM
mittee; DR.. s. M. Lindsay, secretary, and
Dr. Neill. commissioner Of labor. who called
on behalf of the national committee to OBJ
tain the Presidents views with respect to
the BeveridgeP Parsons bill for a national
child labor law. The President stated that
he considered this bill an excellent one, and
that he would give 1t his hearty support
He also said that at the time of his Harris
burg speech and at the time when the re-
cent message was penned neither the COM
mttee nor any other of the persons inter-
ested in the abolition of child labor had
suggested the method embodied in the Bey-
eridge-Parsons bill. Now that the sug-
geStlon mas been mace IL deserves apprO-
baton. A member of the delegation re-
marked that undue Capitalization is to be
reprehended; that whatever can safely be
left to the states should be left to them;
but that where the interests of the nation
require action on the part of the federal
authorities, such action should not be with
held on grounds of mere abstract theory
To this statement the President cordially
assented.
To Pay Capitol Employees.
President Roosevelt today signed the Joint
resolution which gave to the officers and