Arizona republican., 1908-03-22

incapable of responding to the needs | of commerce when fear and uncertain 1 ty were engendered in the minds df | the masses
 ''The starting period of unrest and | distrust was the exposure brought | about by the insurance investigation
 in New York. Following this came the | great calamity in San Francisco. all most destroying the sixth greatest city | in the nation. entailing a loss of sev- | eral hundred million dollars. impov- erishing its citizens as well as the in- surance companies. Then upon the i heels of the disaster We find the pub | lie officials of that city charged with | a violation of almost every trust while 1 the people were battling for an eX- istence. We also had grafting and bribery that were unearthed in at least 1 three other important cities and fin ! ally came the exposure of high finance and the manipulations of the assets of great railroads. followed by the con-
 viction of officials. and also of large | industrial corporations for an utter 1 disregard of the laws of the nation and the states. When these things are considered no one can express surprise ! if the confidence of the people is i shaken./
 TO you. We accord the credit due ! you for compelling respect for law by ] the great and small alike. We believe 1 the business integrity of the average merchant in this country is of a high ! CT standard than any other We there | fore appreciate and commend all the more your fearless activity which re- suited in raising that standard We i realize that no greater service has ever been rendered our country. We ask | you to indicate to congress the cor rective measures you deem it neces- ! saTY to take. We believe the first step toward the resumption of normal bus mess conditions can be taken by con [ gross in response to explicit recom- mendations by the executive" The subcommittee called on the president at the executive office this morning. They were informed by the president that he would probably com municate to congress next week eX- plicit recommendations concerning the 1 legislation needed.
 The president, Senator Aldrich and 1 Representatives Payne of New York. Dalzel Of Pennsylvania and Hepburn of Iowa participated in the confer ence today. The chief subject con- sidered was tariff revision. but there will be other conferences at which other questions will be taken up in ! details.
 An agreement was reached between
 the president ard leaders of the house
 and senate toda.- in favor oc a decla- ration for tariff revision at a special
 session to be held after March 4. 1909 It decided that the best manner in which to prepare for this legislation is to have investigations conducted by the ways and means committee of the house. and finance committee of the sena'e. These investigations will not be IT the form of hearings, but experts will be called in to assist the committees 10 prepare data. The plan is opposed to the appointment of a tariff commission. such as was pro- i posed by Beveridge and LaFollette's bills.
 The amendments suggested to the Sherman antitrust law were suggest ed briefly. The president said a bill
 would be presented providing for le-
 
 the railroads. He called attention to the fact that the labor organizations 1 have been expected to agree to such | legislation in return for a provision eXempting them from the operations of the law. The legislators present were not ready to assent 10 the de- mands made b:' labor in the bill of grievances recently submitted to con- gress. Or that account it was urgec
 that it would be inadvisable to at tempt any revision of the Sherman law ct this time. It is said that the president, while not exactly rejecting it, is disposed to agree with the ad- vice given him.
 He declares that it is but justice to
 the railroads to permit traffic agree ments under proper restrictions, and control by the Interstate Commerce Commission. and said that no interests would be injured by such legislation.
 He was not impressed by the state ment that labor would regard this as
 extending benefits to railroads and
 withholding them from unions. The president was told flatly, that such a course would be bad politics
 for the majority of the party. but on
 the statement that it was not certain that labor would reject unalterably the proposals to an agreement under
 which some benefits would accrue to
 organized labor, the subject went over
 until such time as the president
 shall be ready to present a bill in
 concrete form.
 Messrs. Aldrich. Dalzell and Payne
 Sa id they might he of a different oniu-
 ion upon seeing the bill.
 Representative Hepburn talked over
 with the presedent the terms of the
 bill amending the antitrust law. as
 it has been modified since labor's at
 titude became hostile to the general
 scheme urged by the civic federation.
 MT. Hepburn will introduce the bill in
 the house possibly on Monday.