Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
REQUESTED OF PRESIDENT
By Group of Western Business Rep
resentatives.
WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS
Conferences at the White House on
Financial Situation Result In
Definite Promise.

A message to Congress, con-
tanning explicit Recommendations
for corrective measures for rellef
from business conditions COM
planned of by representatives OF
western interests, was virtually
promised for this week, probably,
in a statement issued from the
White House late yesterday alter
noon. The western business men
had conferred with the President
during the day.
Alta conference with the President. held
at the White House, the following repre-
sentatives of commercial bodies OF 'iie
middle west were present:
Richard c. Hall chairman. president
of the Chicago Association of Commerce.;
" Farweu. ir. member of the Chicago
Association of Commerce; Charles IL.
Wacker. member of the Chicago Associa-
ton of Commerce; James f. Smith, pres
ident of the St Louis Business Men
League: Festus J. Wade, of the executive
committee of the St. Louis BUSINESS
Mems League; II. B. Topping. presldent
of the Kansas City Commercial Clup' =.
y. Parker. former president OF tMe
Kansas city Commercial club; u. Nj.
Clendenning, secretary OF the hdl'a'
City Commercial Club
The following address was presented 10
the President. and there was a 1uil eA-
pression of views, both on the part Oh
the President and the committee
Plea of Business Men.
..Nr President: The organizations we
represent have a membership of about
400 business men-corporations, nrms
and individuals engaged in the develop
uent of the AGRICULTURAL resources. and
the manufacturing. commercial and fhaii-
cial interests of the middle west. In the
pursuit of our various lines CO business
we come in contact with almost every
norton OF the country, but especially OF
the Mississippi valley. We never were
in a more prosperous conuitloi IMAM
prior to the panic of last fall Our laDor
was al employed, our capital prohtaDiy
invested. In short period these condi-
tions have changed. Certain lines OF
business are almost stagnant, prousht
about by the fear of the people as TO the
stability of some of our institutions.
Money has been boarded. instead of flow
ing into the ordinary channels OF invest
ment securities and the various CONNER
cial interests.
ALLEGED Causes of Condition.
Two primary causes are responsible for
this condition: First, the gross violation
of law by some corporations and graft
ing by some public officials, and, sec
ordly a deficient currency system wholly
incapa BILE of responding to needs of COM
MERGE when fear and uncertainty are
engendered into the minds of the masses
The starting of this period of unrest ana
distrust was the exposure Drought ABOUT
by the insurance investigation in New
York where it was shown that the
trustees of corporations acting for mil
ions of our people, and representing IN
assets more than a thousand mililons
of dollars, had in some instances USED
the assets of the corporations in direct
violation OF law. Following this came the
great calamity at San Francisco, almost
destroying the sixth great city of the
nation entailing loss of several hum
dred million dollars, impoverishing the
citizens, as we'll as the insurance COM
panies.
Praise for President.
Then. upon the heels of this disaster
we find the public officials of that city
charged with the violation of almost every
trust while the people were battling for
existence. We also had the grating and
bribery that was unearthed in at least
three other important cities, and finally
came the exposure of high finance, ma
nipulatlon of assets of great railroads,
followed by the conviction of their Of
fcials and also those of large indus
trial corporations, for utter disregard of
the laws of the nation and the state.
When these things are considered no one
ca7 express surprise that the confidence
OF the people should be shaken. To you,
Mr.. President. We accord the credit due
for compelling respect for the law by
the great and the small alike.
We believe that your work toward
business morality will be remembered as
a milestone
of this countrys business morals, but
as a milestone in the progress of the
world
I'VE believe the business integrity of
the average merchant in this country is
of a higher standard than in any other.
We therefore appreciate and commend
all the more your fearless activity which
has resulted in raising the standard and
We realize that no greater service has
ever been rendered our country.
Request for Message
NO great good has ever been accom-
plished in any times without some suf-
fering in consequence, but we now urge
you to consider with extreme patience
the unusual conditions that prevail, and
while abandoning no expressed principle
TO adjust your executive actions to the
requirements of this period of business
timidity.
we dSh you, MI fEeSlutHl. TO lnO1-
cate to the Congress the corrective meas
ures you deem il necessary To take. We
believe that the first step toward re-
sumption of normal business conditions
can be taken by the Congress in response
to explicit recommendations by the Ex-
ecutive."
\ subcommittee consisting of Messrs
Hall Wacker Smith and Topping, called
on the President at the executive office,
ana they were informed by the Pre- sdent
he hah ioafa
Congress this week explicit recomme nda-
tiOns concerning the ltgislaIiOn needed