New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-22
LABOR AT WHITE HOUSE
HUNDRED LEADERS CALL.
President Expresses Sympathy, but
Dissents from Some of Their Vie5cs.

received a large body OF the representatives CT
organized labor this afternoon at the White
House and talked to them about their urgent rs-
quest for the enactment Of labor measures nov
pending before Congress
Samuel Gompers. president and Frank Norrt-
son, secretary. Of the American Federation or
Labor. headed the delegation. which consisted e
about hundred members OF the executive cOuD-
Gil Of the federation and officials OF the or
ganizations which comprise IT, Practically al
the important labor organizations Of the coUEEr1
were represented. The men called by appoint
ment at the executive Offices at , 80 D m. and
were received soon afterward by President
Roosevelt in his private Office and the adjoiniaS
Cabinet room.
Secretary Morrison read 70 the President a
memorial Of the executive council OF the fedora
tion urging action the various demands for
legislation made by the organized labor interests
of the country. The memorial dealt particularly
with the eight-hour law and its enforcement on
government work. including the Panama Canal.
and the immigration laws. especially the Chinese
exclusion laws.
Presider- Gompers and James Duncan. %
Quincy Mass, first vice-president OF the fedora
tion and president OF the granite cutters union
followed with brief addresses on the lines OF the
memorial
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
President Roosevelt. after listening to ths
statements. replied in an extended address. On
the subjects Of general immigration and the ex-
clusion Of Chinese labor, he indicated that hs
was in practical accord with them. but on some
other points he differed from them radically.
The Presidents remarks follow:
Mr.. GOmpers: II your BODY objects 10 the
passage OF the proposed Anti-InjuuCtion bill Z
nave no question that you stop IT, for there
Is not capitalist concerned who, simply as
capitalist Is not against 1t; though believe that
goodly number, both Of capitalists and wage
workers. Who are concerned primarily as citizens
favor II. The law worked over and sub
stantially whipped into its present shape al a
number Of conferences between represenfafives
or the railroad organizations. OF the Department
or Justice. and Of the Bureau OF Corpora tons.
with me II goes as lar as personally think t.
should go IN limiting the right OF Injunction; a.
any rate, no arguments have hitherto been ad-
Vanced which make me think il should 90 fur
ther. 1 do not believe 1t has any chance OF pass
ing, because there has been great criticism in
/ both houses OF Congress against the attitude or
i the administration in going so far We have
gone ana II you think II IS not far enough, why,
/ you will have earthly difficulty in killing the
/ bill Personally think the proposed law most
! admirable one, and very sincerely wish IL
would be put through.
J AS for the right OF Injunction. IL Is 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
/ do not remember an instance where the govern
ment has invoked the right os injunction against
| a combination Of labOrers. We have invoked IL
( toL1 a S~u4e OF llLlrS against
/ OF capital; 1 think. possibly oftener. Thus
| though we have secured the issuance OF fujUrc-
ttons IN a number OF cases against CAPITALISTS
[ conolnatlons, II mas happened that We have
never tried to secure an Injunction azsinsr q
( combination OF labor. But understand ne. ger
/ LeInen' II ever thought II necessary II
! thought a combination Of Iaborers were doing
+ wrong. I would apply for Injunction against
italists.
Now. I come to the general subject o. your
petition wish, In the first place to state nv.
rr~TT~ r7Hr r.
petition refers 10 the action OF the executive
from so much as refers 20 the action OF the
. legislative branch because I cannot consider
any petition that you make that reflects upol
the coordinate branch Of the government. CT
that makes any charges whatever against 10.
would not even receive it. save for the fact that
IN part IL affects the executive. Therefore. IN
what 1 have to say I shall limit myself solely
10 what you assert IN reference 20 the acts %
the executive.
NO EIGHT-HOUR Law IN PANAMA .
You speak Of the eight-hour law. Your criti-
cis. so far as 1t relates 10 the executive. bear
upon the signature OF the appropriation bill cor
tanning the money for expenditure on the Par
ANA Canal with the prOvfso that the efght hOI
/ law shall not there apply. II your statement .-
intended 20 mean that opportunity was Civ.
for a hearing before me- then the statement
not I'm accordance with the facts There va
/ ample opportunity that any one could. but nc
| single request for such a hearing came 70 me.
/ grams and letters requesting the veto OF the
entire appropriation bill because II contained
believe that You were writing and telegraphins
I with any kind Cf knowledge OF The conditions in
the case 7 believe enphattcally IN the eight
hour law for our own people IN our own couu-
. Try. But the conditions OF labor such as va
have 10 work with I'm the tropics are so absC-
luteIv different that there IS no possible ana
t Ogy between them. and An eight hour law fC
the Panama Canal Is Al a5sU-diry. Every cr7
! of YOU knows that We cannot get white labor.
cannot get labor Of the United States, TO 80 down
10 Panama and work. We ara driven TO eItre-li-
ties in the effort TO get any kind ot labor az al
/ Just AT the moment we are working chiehF
/ usual result an the employment CT those men is
. that Monday and Tuesday they work fairly
well, Wednesday and Thursday there IS marked
. falling off, and by Friday and saturday not
/ more than a half. sometimes less than one
. fourth Of the laborers will be at work.
The conditions that make the eight-hour law
I proper here have no possible reference 20 th9
/ conditions that make the eight-hOur law entire
1v Improper there. The conditions are so utterly
different on the isrhnus compared 20 here tha-
II IS impossible 10 draw conclusions atrecttng the
one from what Is true about the other. You
hamper me in the effort 20 get for YOU what
think YOU ought TO have IN connection Win th8
eight hour law when YOU make a request that i
indefensibIe: and 10 grant which would mean
I indefinite delay and injury 10 Jhe WofA on Ile
As to the violations Of the eight-hour law. NIr.
F Morrison, YOU give me no speclncattons- A.
. YOUR earliest convenience. please lay before ma
. in detail any complaints YOU have OF violations
i OF the eght-hour law Where I have power
+ will see that the law IS Obeyed- All ask g.
that YOU give me the cases I viii take them
up and n they prove TO be sustained oy tho
/ facts shall see that the law is enforced
NO CHINESE PERIL HERE
Now. about the Chinese exclusion. The mum
ber OF Chinese now In the country is II re-
/ member Alright, some sixty or seventy thousand
So far from there being a great influx OF the
Chinese. the fact Is that the number has steadily