Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-06
TAFT ON bOYC0TTS
Says Government Cannot Be
Dragged Into Disputes.
EXPRESSES VIEWS PLAINLY
Addresses Visitors on Bethlehem
Steel Works Trouble.
KANSAS DELEGATION IS SOLID
Anxious to Have Judge Hook Ap-
pointed to Succeed Justice Brewer
on the Supreme Bench.

President Taft today told a delegation
of fifty business men from the Bethe-
hens of Pennsylvania that he did not IA
vor boycotts. and that so far as he was
concerned he did not believe that dis
putes with third parties warranted the
abrogation of government contracts with
any company.
The members of the delegation headed
by H. j. Meyers, called at the White
House as disinterested persons, the chair
man declared, to protest against the re-
ports that had been spread by labor agi-
tators to the effect that the Bethlehem
steel works. because of the strike of
some of its employees was turning out an
inferior quality of work.
Mr.. Meyers said that efforts had been
made to have this government. as we'll as
foreign customers of the steel concern,
boycott the works, the claim being made
that incompetent workmen had been en-
ployed to take the strikers places.
Mr.. Meyers declared that this was not
true; that the men engaged on govern
ment contracts had many of them been in
the employ of the company for twelve
years or more; that they took patriotic
as well as personal interest in their
work for the government and that they
had followed with deepest concern the
events of the Spanish-American war be-
cause they had turned out many of the
guns and much of the armor plate that
was called upon to stand the brunt of
the battle at Santiago Copies of resolu-
tlons adopted by organizations of citizens
and business men in Bethlehem and South
Bethlehem were left with the President.
President Gives Views.
In his address to the delegation. Presi-
dent Taft said:
II haven't followed closely what has
happened at Bethlehem at all. I don't
know. ] don't know what the statements
are to which you refer. i don't know
what government contracts there are that
would naturally go to Bethlehem, or in
which Bethlehem would have an oppor
tunity to bid. I can only say this-that
am utterly opposed to the principle OF
a boycott. Every issue ought to be set
tied on its own merits. If the Bethlehem
work isn't up to contract, then the gov
ernment ought not to give the contracts
to the companies. If it is, then the con-
tracts ought to go to 1t without regard
to controversies that Bethlehem may have
with third persons, whether those thiro
persons be customers or employees.
The controversy between Bethlehem
and it's employees, in so far as the pub
lie is concerned, will be settled on the
merits of that controversy and the
mutual relations, or lack of relations.
between the, Bethlehem companies and
their employees There is relation
between the one controversy and the
other BECAUSE say that with empha-
sis-because to hold otherwise is to in
troduce into government methods the
system upon which the boycott rests,
to wit. that third persons are to be
involved against their will in con-
troversy with respect to which they
have no natural relation.
The Only Consideration.
Therefore. without knowing any
thing about the facts, / say to you
that if Bethlehem doesn't do good work
1t is for the government to find out
and to act on it. and to refuse its con-
tracts on that ground, and not because
it is concerned In a fight or in con-
troversy with it's employees. In so far
as the public or the government or
part of the public is interested in the
controversy between the employees and
the companies, that is determined on
the merits of that controversy. and not
with respect to the government bust
ness That is the position | occupy. 1t
is the position my adminlstra ton. as
far as I can control 1T. will occupy
The Kansas congressional delegation is
for the first time in a number of months
united The members are solid for Judge
William c. Hook of the United STAT IS
circuit court of the eighth circuit for as
sociate justice of the Supreme Court. A
meeting of the delegation held last night
showed both Senators Curtis and Bristow
together for the first time in months.
Representative Anthony called on the
President today to urge Judge Hook and
found the President interested in the good
things said about the Kansas jurist. The
late Justice Brewer was from Kansas
and that makes the Kansas delegation
anxious to have another man from that
state appointed TO the vacancy