The San Francisco call., 1908-11-02
JUDGE TAFT WRITES
ONLABORQUESTION
Republican Nominee Denies He
Will Attempt Reprisals
After Election

BUFFALO, Nov. 1.-Judge Taft
caused this statement to be issued here
tonight as coming from him:
1T was brought to Mr.. Taft's atten-
tion today that number of labor lead-
ers who have no sympaty with MT
Gompers in his attempt to commit the
entire vote of labor to the democratic
party were nevertheless in great con-
Germ lest the defeat of Mr.. Bryan ana
Mr.. Gompers, which now seems cerIdlh,
would lead to reprisals on the part OF
the new administration under Mr.. Ia1t
and to a refusal on his part to continue
the good work for labor which has been
done by Mr.. Roosevelt and at his IN
stance by a republican congress. In
statement tonight Mr.. Taft said:
Il have been honored by Mr.. Roose-
welt in the last four years oy Deins Ing
spect to all the executive and legisia-
tive measures projected in his adnln
istration in the interest of LABOR and
| have had a very deep sympathy with
all that has been done. There are other
measures in the interest of labor that
ought to be adopted.
SHOULD BE AMENDED
THE 16 hour bill ought probably to
be amended. The compensation Tor
government employees act ought to be
enlarged and liberalized with view 10
making the government liable In the
same way as a private employer for the
injury of its workmen suffered while
in its employ,
practice of labor organizations to pro-
pose legislation of this kind to the ex-
! ecutive for recommendation and to con-
gress for action, and it will be pleas
! ant duty on my part, If / am elected
| as l expect to be, to consider all sucn
! labor proposals and to urge upon con-
gress those measures approved In the
| republican platform, as well as such
| others as commend themselves to my
| Judgment and my desire to aid all labor.
| The functions of the commissioner
| of labor may very we'll be enlarged to
make the bureau more useful to the
cause of labor, and all proposals in that
| direction will meet my hearty concur
renee The bitterness and injustice of
the attacks made upon me by Mr.. Bryan
| and by Mr.. Gompers and Mr.. Fuller will
not in the slightest degree, turn me
from my consistent attitude toward Ia
| half and earnest desire to aid in every
way that federal legislation may legiti-
mately do 1T.
CHARGE UNJUsTLY MADE
The statement made by Mr.. Fuller
| that I refused to give a hearing to
laboring men in response to cut in
/ their wages of 10 per cent made by the
receivers of a railway company, grows
| out Of his failure to note full and
complete decision on the subject, show
| ing not only full consideration, but
the fact that I called in another judge
! of a great deal of evidence and its
careful consideration
The failure of the men. having 80
days notice of the proposed order, to
! object to it until the day before the
order was to go into effect, led to a
refusal TO suspend the order because
| there was not time for hearing, but
| full opportunity to modify or revoke
| it was given upon five days notice of
| the employees to the receiver and this
| opportunity was improved by them and
the hearing had.
| The statements of Mr.. Bryan and Mr..
/ Fuller on this subject include garbled
sentences from one of the two opinions
and give the impression that the court
reached exactly the opposite conclu-
| sion from that which 1t in fact reached
! in respect to the propriety of a hear
| ing in such cases. A reference to the
decision in the 62 Fed Rep, II, will
confirm this statement and show the
/ utter Injustice of Mr.. Fullers attack.
The case reported later of 81 Fed.
Rep, 669. was memorandum opinion
| which should have preceded the opinion
/ reported in the So Fed. Rep. II. and
| the real decision reached was contained
| in the letter This may have misled
| Mr.. Fuller and Mr.. Bryan. but IL did
| not Justify the use of garbled extracts
| from the earlier opinions.