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the JEFFERSONIAN Vol. 111. No. 13. » NE W TH RE A T OP SPECIAL SESSION (By Associated Washington, March 21. —2•‘Resident Roose velt has determined on a legislative program, the enactment of which xyrif be urged upon congress in a special message, which he said today will go in next week. Each of the measures to be proposed in volves perplexing difficulties and each will have far-reaching effect on the business and economic conditions of the country. . The program is the product of important conferences through which the president has been put in possession of the views of all in terests concerned. Likewise the attitude of the leaders in both branches of congress has been made known. Its success depends upon the combined effort which he believes can be brought to bear in behalf of the whole plan by those affected especially by some of its features. What is Proposed. The program includes: A declaration in favor of a revision of the tariff in a special session to be held after March 4, 1909. An amendment to the Sherman anti-trust law so as to make important concessions to combinations of both labor and capital. Limiting the powers of certain courts in the use of the injunction in labor disputes. Passage of an employers’ liability bill. Passage of the Aldrich financial bill. The support of the business and financial interests of the middle west was pledged to the president on this program following an extended conference held at the white house last night. Satisfactory Conference. A most satisfactory conference w r as held at the president’s offices today with leaders of the two houses of congress. The details of last night’s conference were purposely with held pending the morning conference. At the conclusion of the latter, the following state ment was made public by Secretary Loeb: “At a conference with the president held at the white house last evening were the fol lowing representatives of commercial bodies of the middle west: “Richard C. Hall, chairman, president Chi cago Association of Commerce; J. Farwell, Jr., member of the Chicago Association of Commeice; Charles H. Wacker, member of Chicago Association of Commerce; James E. Smith, president St. Louis Business Men’s League; Festus J. Wade, of executive commit tee, St. Louis Business Men’s League; H. B. Topping, president of the Kansas City Com mercial Club; C. B. Parker, ex-president Kan sas City Commercial Club. Address to Roosevelt. ‘ 4 The following addres was presented to the president and there was a full expression of A Weekly Paper Edited by THOS. E. WATSON and J. D. WATSON. Atlanta, Ga., Thursday, March 26, 1908. views both on the part of the presi of the committee: Xy “Mr. President: The organizations we * < resent have a membership of about 4,500 bus iness men, corporations, firms and individuals, engaged in the department of the agricultural resources and the manufacturing, commercial and financial interests of the middle west. In the pursuit of our various lines of business we come in contact with almost every portion of the country, but especially of the Missis sippi valley. We were never in a more pros perous condition than prior to the panic of last fall. Our labor was all employed, dur capital profitably invested. “In a short period these conditions have changed. Certain lines of business are almost stagnant, brought about by the fear of the people as to the stability of some of our in stitutions. Money has been hoarded instead of flowing into the ordinary channels of invest ment, securities and the various commercial interests. Two Primary Causes. “Two primary causes are responsible for this condition. “First, the gross violation of law 7 by some corporations and grafting by some public offi cials, and. secondly, a deficient currency sys tem wholly incapable of responding to the needs of commerce when fears and uncertainty are engendered into the minds of the masses. “The starting of this period of unrest and distrust w 7 as the exposure brought about by the insurance investigation in New York, where it was shown that the trustees of cor porations acting for millions of our people and representing in assets more than a thousand million of dollars, had in some instances used the assets of the corporations ’in direct viola tion of the law. “Following this came the great calamity at San Francisco, almost destroying the sixth great city of the nation, entailing a loss of several hundred million dollars, impoverishing the citizens as w 7 ell as the insurance com panies. The Trail of Fraud. “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 grafting and bribery that was unearthed in at least three other import ant cities and finally came the exposure of high finance, manipulations of the assets of great railroads, followed by the conviction of their officials and also those of large industrial cor porations, for utter disregard of the laws of the nation and the state. When these things are considered no one can express surprise that the confidence of the people would be shaken. To you, Mr. President, we accord "the credit due for compelling a respect for the bv the great and the small alike. , $ Milestone of Progress. c *V.ieve that your work toward business nn.. will be remembered as a milestone, not in the development of this country’s business morals but as a milestone in the prog ress of the world. “We believe the business integrity of the average merchant in this country is of a high er 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. “No great good has ever been accomplished in any times without some suffering in conse quence, 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. Urgd to Take Action. “We ask you, Mr. President, to indicate to (he congress the corrective measures you deem it necessary to take. We believe that the first step toward resumption of normal busi ness conditions can be taken by the congress in response to explicit recommendations by the executive.” A sub-committee consisting of Messrs. Hall, Wacker, Smith and Topping called on the president at the executive office this morning and were informed by the president that he would probably communicate to congress next week explicit recommendations concerning the legislation needed. The president, Senator Aldrich and Repre sentative Payne, of New York; Dalzell, of Pennsylvania, and Hepburn, of lowa, partici pated in the conference today. The chief sub ject considered was tariff revision, but there will be other conferences at which other ques tions will be taken up in detail. A Special Session. An agreement was reached between the president and the leaders of the house and senate in favor of a declaration for a revision of the tariff at a special session to be held ofter March 4, 1909. It was de cided that the best manner in which to prepare for the legislation is to have investigations conducted by the ways and means committee of the house and the finance committee of the senate. These investigations will not be in tho form of hearings, but experts will be called in to assist the committee in preparing data. The plan is opposed to the appointment of a tariff commission such as is proposed in the Beveridge and La Follette bills. (Continued on Page Sixteen.) Price Five Cents.