Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-22
ROOSEVELT TO LABOR MEN
DELEGATION Of One Hundred from American
Federation at White House.
URGE ENACTMENT OF LABOR MEASURES
Chief Executive states Hts Position
on IniunctionS, Eight Hour
Law and Chinese
Exclusion.

Roosevelt received a large body Of repre-
sentatives of organized labor this after
noon at the White House and talked to
them about their urgent request for the
enactment of labor measures now pending
before congress.
Samuel Gompers. president. and Frank
Morrison secretary Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. headed the delegation,
which consisted of about 100 members of
the executive council of the American
Federation of Labor and officials of the
orgauiza tons which comprise the fedora
ton. Practically all of the important la
Dor organizations of the country were rep
resented.
Secretary Morrison read to the president
a memorial of the executive council OF
the American Federation urging action on
the various demands for legislation being
made by the organized labor interests of
the country. The memorial dwelt partcu-
larly on the eight-hour law and it's en-
forcement on government works. including
the Panama canal, and the immigration
laws. especially the Chinese exclusion
laws.
President Gompers and James Duncan of
Quincy, Mass, first vice president of the
federation and president of the Granite
Cutters union. followed with brief adj
dresses on the lines of the memorial. Pres
ident Roosevelt after listening TO the
statements. replied in an extended ad-
dress. on the subjects of general immi-
grafton and the exclusion of Chinese la
Dor. the president indicated that he was
i'm practical accord with them but on some
other matters he differed from them rad
ically The text of the presidents re-
marks as given out at the White House
this evening follows:
Address of President Roosevelt.
Mr.. Gompers: If your body objects to the
passage of the proposed anti-injunctlon
bill ! have no doubt that you can stop
II, for there Is not capitalist concerned,
who simply as capitalist, is not against
It, though / believe that goodly number
both of capitalists and wage workers who
are concerned primarily as citizens favor
Il. The claw was worked over and SUB
stantially whipped into its present shape
at a number of conferences between rep
resentatives of the railroad organlzatlonS,
OF the Department OF Justice and with
the bureau of corporations with me. ~
goes a far as / personally think II should
go in limiting the right of Injunction; at
any rate. no arguments have hitherto been
advanced which make me think II should
go farther. do not believe II has any
chance OF passing. because there has been
great criticisms in both houses or con-
gress against the attitude OF the admin
istration in going so far as we nave gone
and II you think IL is not far enough, why,
you will have no earthly difficulty in XIII
! ing the bill. Personally, l think the pro-
posed law a most admirable one and very
| sincerely wish 1t would be put through.
As for the right OF Injunction, A. = apso-
lntely necessary to have this powell loaeeo
I In the courts, though of course any ABUSE
of the power is strongly to be reproDated
During the four and a half years tnat
have been president | do not remember
an instance where the government has IN
| Voked the right of injunction against a
combination of laborers. We have invoked
| IL certainly score of times against combi-
\ no Of / OtIenel.
/ Thus, though we have secured the issuance
/ of injunctions in number of cases against
/ captalistic combinations IL has happened
that we have never tried to secure an in
junction against a combination OF labor.
But, understand me, gentlemen, II | ever
/ thought IL necessary, If thought combi-
nation of laborers were doing wrong, l
would apply for an injunction against
them just as quick as against so many
/ capitalists.
Enforcement of Eight-HOur Law.
You speak of the eight-hour law. Your
| criticism, so far 1t relates to the eXecu-
tive. bears upon the signature OF the ap-
! preparation bill containing the money for
/ expenditure on the Panama canal, with
/ the proviso that the eight-hour law shall
not there apply. II your statement is in
| tended to mean that no opportunity was
| given for hearing before, then the state
| ment is not I'm accordance with the facts.
There was ample opportunity, but not a
I single request for such a hearing came
4 to me. / received, however, some hundred
| of kilograms and letters requesting the
/ IL contained that proviso. Frankly, I found
Il difficult to believe that you were writing
and telegraphing with any kind of knowl-
| edge of the conditions in the case l be-
lieve emphatically In the eight-hour law
for our own people in our own country.
But the conditions OF labor, such as We
have to work with in the tropics, are so
! absolutely different that there is no possi-
BILE analogy between them. and an eight
/ hour law for the Panama canal Is an
absurdity. The conditions that make the
eight-hour law proper here have no possi-
Bile reference TO the conditions that make
the eight-hour law entirely improper there.
You hamper me in the effort to get for
you what I think you ought to have I'm
connection with the eight-hour law when
you make a request that is indefensible,
and to grant witch would mean indefinite
delay ana injury TO the work on the
Z isthmus.
CbineSe Not a Menace 10 Labor.
Now, about the Chinese exclusion. The
number of Chinese now in this country is
II / remember Alright some 5000 or 30 .GfO
So far from there being a great influx OF
Chinese the fact is that the number has
1 steadily decreased. There are fewer Chi
nese than there were ten years ago, fewer
than there were twenty years ago, fewer
than there were thirty years ago.
The delegation remained with the presi-
dent about three-quarters of an hour and
the subjects suggested were considered
Informally after the address had been de-
| nvered. II was agreed that on points OF
difference tho executive council of the
Federation should appoint a committee OF
three which should draft the views of the
organization and submit to the presiden,
at a later date. II is likely that President
Gompers will be chairman Of that COM
mittee.
Memorial Presented TO Cannon.
Earlier in the day the delegation called
on Speaker Cannon and Senator Frye OF
Maine president pro tsmpore Of the sen
ate, and laid before them the same memo
rial which they presented to the pres
ident. The document expresses the
opinion that the eight-hou law il
Ineffective ana insufficient and deplores
the governments attitude towards the law
as Affecting work on the Panama canal
II complains that the workingmen has MOI
been protected against convict labor; aud
that appeals for relief from undesirable
immigration have been without result
Recognizing the danger OF Chinese i'm.
migration" says the letter, and responsive
10 the demands Of the people, congress
years ago enacted an effective Chinese ex.
elusion law; yet. despite the experience OF
the people OF our own country. as well az
those Of other countries, the present law /,
fiagrantly violated. and now. by act Of con.