Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-16
No Statement in Regard to Rail-
roads to Be Made.
Mr.. MELLEN TO COME HERE
Whether Representing Roads or as
Personal Friend Not Known.
NAVY YARD SALARIES DIFFER
No Uniformity in Wages Of the Same
Glass Of Employees Com
planned OF.

planned OF.
There were circumstantial reports to.
day that the President would give out q
statement defining his attitude as to rail-
roads, but 1t was ascertained later that
this was incorrect. The President was
| asked by some Of his callers as to his
| attitude. and in ono case. at least. he
| read some statements he had made in
| speeches and letters. This gave the i'm
preston that a statement was to be made
public. Among the visitors during the
morning was James Speyer. head OF the
large financial house Of Speyer & Co..
New York. He has for a long time been
| a close personal friend OF the President.
Later in the day Senator'S Beveridge and
Crane talked with the President
The President, it is said on good au-
| thority. feels that he has on numerous
occasions defined his attitude as to rail-
roads and corporations and that there
| Is no occasion for him to make an OPP
portunity for doing so again He had felt
that his position was we'll understood.
Briefly, it is to the effect that he will
| struggle to secure legislation that will
round out existing laws. but in every
| case he will have in mind the protection
| of legitimate business especially the pro-
| lection of the legitimate stockholder IN
corporations.
roads and other corporations. nor does he
propose to permit the outcries of Wall
street to prevent his seeking to do the
| right thing as to perfecting laws for the
| country. He wants his friends to know
| that honest wealth need have no fear at his
hands. whether 1t is in railroad stock or
| in other property.
! President Mellen of the New Haven
l rail hos fo1n nod ho 0ak
| ing for an interview next Tuesday. and
| this has been accorded. So far as now
| known at the White House he will be the
| only railroad president to come here Ac-
cordinE to unofficial advices there was a
| meeting in New York yesterday of Messrs.
McCrea, Hughitt. Newman and Mellen and
| 1t was decided that as there was no definite
| proposition to submit they would not come
| to Washington. The statement was further
| more made that as these men could not
| claim to represent railroad interests gen.
orally they had no right coming here CIV
ing the assumption that they did SO repre-
| sent these interests.
1t is not known at the White House
| whether President Mellen is to come to
| Washington as a representative Of various
| railroad interests or as personal friend
1 of the President, as he Is known to be.
This afternoon at 2:3O o'clock the Presi-
dent had a long interview with Gov.
| Illinois.
| "A " Ill oIAC0I OAO4 NoAASs
J Senator Hepburn Of Idaho was one Of the
Presidents visitors today. When asked
what effect he thought the Presidents atti-
tude on railroad matters had had upon the
recent slump in stocks he said This
whole thing is a poker game in Wall street.
and nothing else. The fact that the Wall
street magnates begin to rob each other has
| no concern for me or the country, which Is
not affected by it in the least. There was a
1 ina hnr al 81 mi q htIot
ness throughout the country. but this Is not
so now. The people do not give rap what
| happens in Wall street"
| Navy Yard Salaries.
| Representative Weeks of Boston suggest
! ed to the President today that there ought
to be some improved method Of fixing the
salaries OF machinists and other employees
\ of navy yards and arsenals throughout the
country. Mr.. Weeks told the President that
! there is no uniformity in salaries, and men
| toned the cases Of the Boston navy yard
and WATERFOWL arsenal. both in his con-
| gressional district. Men doing exactly the
same class of worksin each place draw diff
ferent wages. Mf.xWeeks explained that
this is due to the fact that in navy yards
the wages are fixed by bosHlds Of naval off,
GERS while in the arsenals the salaries are
fixed by the superintendent. Machinists in
l
those in the Boston navy yard, and the re-
suit, explained Mr.. Weeks, is that the
Watertown machinists are dissatisfied.
| The President has had numerous COM
plants made to him before along this line.
| and he has asked MIR. Weeks write
! statement which he may lay before the
| Secretaries Of the Navy and War for their
| consideration. There has been complaint
| in the past to the different wage scales
in different navy yards Of the country for
/ the same class Of men. The Washington
| and New York yards do not conform In
| their wage scales. and this leads to con-
t-stant complaint from the men in one place
| or another.
| Mr.. Weeks has not offered remedy. but
| heretofore the suggestion has been that
one board located IN Washington fix the
| wage scales in the various navy yards,
| while the same thing be done for the arsen-
| ais.
Canal Commission and Salaries.
The President today issued the following
| order as to the salaries of the members OF
! the isthmian canal commission:
| Maj William L. Sibert. Corps of Engi-
| neers U. 8. A., Maj. David DUB. Gailla.u,
| corps of Engineers. U. 8. A. and Civil En-
| gineer Harry H. Rousseau, U. 8. N, are
! hereby appointed members Of the isthmian
| canal commission, vice Benjamin Haired;
Gen. Peter {. Hams, u. s. A, and Rear
| Admiral Mordecai L. Endicott, U. S. N,
resigned.
| Mai Sibert will receive compensation at
! the rate of $14,OUO per annuni, including his
| pay as major in the Corps Of Engineers.
| Maj. Gaillard will receive compensation
| at the rate of $4,000 per annum. tnclud-
| ing his pay as major in the Corps Of En-
gineers.
Civil Engineer Rousseau will receive COM
pensation at the rate OF $4,000 per annum.
| Including his pay as an officer OF the navy.
Maj. William l.. Sibert, Mai David Dub.
Gaillard and Civil Engineer Harry H. Rous-
| seau will each be allowed the use Of fur
| nished dwelling house on the isthmus and
| will be allowed and paid their actual and
necessary expenses while away from the
lsthmus OF Panama on official business.
=. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, March III. 1907.
Chaplains Of the Navy.
An effort is to be made to have the num-
Der OF chaplains In the navy increased.
There are practically three times as many
| ships in the navy now as during the civil
| war. but the number OF chaplains has not
| increased" said Rev. John Bancroft Devins,
who called on President Roosevelt today in
nv, ny,do IN kny, f,ko 10,