The Washington herald., 1911-10-28

Chicago, Oct 2.-President Taft COM
pleted 121Oo. miles Of his 13,oOO-mile swing
around the circle when he reached this
city tonight for a three days stay. In
a speech before 5000 people at the First
Regiment armory he talked upon railroad
rate regulation and the trusts, reIterat-
ing his purpose to compel the corpora
tOns to obey the antitrust law as inter-
preted by the Supreme Court.
Il speak to you of the trusts at time
when the matter is boiling" remarked
the President, evidently referring to the
suit instituted against the steel trust
lie went on to discuss the decision of
the court and to assure the audience that
the government will not let up in its
energies against the trusts.
They must obey the law" shouted the
President. 1T may disturb business for
LITTLE, but they must be made to know
that they cannot monopolize trade TO
control prices. With all the power at my
command, I shall back up any effort to
bring about rigid enforcement of the law
as laid down.
Well Received in Chicago.
The President was accorded a hearty
demonstration at the armory. AS he
was applauded by a throng at the La
Sale Hotel as he emerged from the train.
At the armory meeting, under the aus
pices of the Hamilton Club, the President
was formally welcomed to the city in
speech by Mayor Harrison.
Gov Deneen. unable to attend because
of a broken leg, was represented by
Lieut.. Gov. Oglesby, who introduced the
President. \ vigorous round of applause
swept over the armory as the President
began TO speak. After the armory speech
the President went to the Irish Choral
Society's ball at the Hotel La Sale, and
then to the Blackstone Hotel, where he
will make his headquarters during his
stay in Chicago.
President Taft, in a speech at Milwau-
kee. before a gathered l,5CG employers
and employees this noon, took up the re-
lations Of capital and labor. Going into
the boycott Of business by labor organi-
cations. the President declared that he
was in fa.or Of the strictest application
OF the law, and that the offending labor
organization ought to be punished. He
Is 4 strong believer in the union organi-
zatiOn, he told his hearers, but when a
trades union infrinEes the law he would
not give it treatment different from that
given 10 law-Lreaking trust.
Defines UniOnism.
In his speech Mr.. Taft, after telling
Of his sympathy with the idea of the
trades union, said:
Where the interests are the same, the
organization Of those who have the
same interests and live under the same
conditions IS rood thing for them, pro-
vidcd they use i within proper limita-
tions Hence I have always advocated
the existence Of labor unions. Without
them. the Individual laborer or workman
or cmpiOyc would be at the mercy and
wholly unable to meet at the junctures
in his relations with his employer the
greater capital and force and power of
his eniployer.
I'VE have a commission that is en-
gagged now in trying to solve the ques-
lion OF workmen's compensation. The
difficulty about our previous system has !
been that it has had no uniformity IN |
operation for those who have been in |
Iured in the employ Of their employers. |
Now. if by legislation we could take
out of the courts the damage suits, we |
could certainly reduce in number half .
the suits that are brought into the .
courts. and We could reduce in the time |
they take perhaps One-ffth more. so that !
the courts would have time to attend to |
other business.
Better Conditions Result.
Now. trades unions also, I doubt not
have brought higher wages ID better !
conditions, because they have stood up
in those times when the interests of the
employer and employe were opposed |
and they have fought out the fight, they
have increased the rates Of wages and
improved the general conditions of their
employment; but, on the other hand, we
must not fail to recognize that such or
- haN 4nI
latiOns Of law. violence, the secondary
boycott, and other means of seeking to
compel their employers illegally to re-
spOnd TO their demands Under those
conditions there has been nothing to do
but to enforce the law, and the first
lesson would impart to both EMPLOYERS
and employees is the absolute necessity
If we are going to have permanent in
dustrial PEE e, Of the closest conformity
to the law"
The President expressed the hope that
the union workers and capital would
come soma time to a general peace un-
derstanidng, but he did not know er
actly how to bring 1t about One U,av
ne suggested was for both sides to hold
occasional conferences. and then, when
differences arise, to submit them
to impartial Judges made up OF respon-
SIble men Of the communities interested.
The President left Milwaukee late in
the afternoon for Chicago, and on the
way stopped of at Racine and Kenosha,
talking to large crowds on his tariff We
toes.