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President Roosevelt encloses a letter from William Wiegand to Martin A. Knapp. Roosevelt likes to assist the enlisted men in the military and wants to help Wiegand. He asks Knapp for the facts.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-08-27
President Roosevelt has come to the conclusion that Chairman Knapp of the Interstate Commerce Commission has not come up with any legislation to address the complaints of car shortages and fears shippers are expecting immediate action. Roosevelt feels Knapp should make a statement on the matter explaining why legislation is not being introduced to Congress at the moment. Roosevelt believes the problem could be solved with administrative action by the Interstate Commerce Commission, rather than judicial action, and if it is not possible to work primarily as an administrative body then the Interstate Commerce Commission should be dismantled and replaced with another administrative body.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-24
President Roosevelt sends Martin A. Knapp, chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission, some clippings on the actions of Milton H. Smith, of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, who he says is trying to discredit the actions of the government. He additionally encloses a letter from Governor Hoke Smith of Georgia. Roosevelt says that it would be advisable if action could be taken regarding the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and asks Knapp to keep him informed on the situation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-02-22
President Roosevelt believes that the federal government should have complete control of the issuance of securities by businesses engaged in interstate commerce. Additionally, he concurs that railroads should not own stock in other railroad companies unless the federal government permits it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-10
William Loeb forwards to Interstate Commerce Commission Chairman Knapp medals of honor to be sent to Charles A. Arms and Edgar E. George. Arms, a ferryman in Tennessee, rescued three men from drowning in the Cumberland River following a train wreck in 1906. George, a coal company employee in Pennsylvania, saved a boy who was stuck on a railroad track.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-06-08
President Roosevelt would like Chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission Knapp to bring the other members of the Commission to meet with him about the “general policy to be pursued under the interstate commerce law.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-13
President Roosevelt tells Chairman Knapp, of the Interstate Commerce Commission, that he feels the commission’s agent should procure information on whether passenger trains will still run past towns where there is a dearth of fuel and food. He that the mail could be taken on freight trains instead of passenger trains in order to avoid causing undue suffering. The crisis in North Dakota is grave at present, and Roosevelt feels he has the right to require railroads to do their part to meet it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-30
President Roosevelt sends letters to him from Charles Patrick Neill and James R. Garfield, and one from himself to Mr. Hanks, to Chairman Martin A. Knapp of the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-30
President Roosevelt explains to Martin A. Knapp the employment of Francis S. Monnett “was in effect a deliberate submission to blackmail.” Monnett claimed that Roosevelt had directed the Interstate Commerce Commission to not conduct an oil investigation and threatened to share the news with hostile senators. Roosevelt directs Knapp to investigate this matter, as well as the conduct of Edward A. Moseley, who hired Monnett. He includes the text of letters he wrote to Knapp and Monnett concerning the oil investigation, showing that it was merely put on hold, not cancelled.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-19
Oscar P. Austin returns to Chairman Knapp several documents that detail criticisms of the Interstate Commerce Commission’s 1904 statistical report on railways. The criticisms by George W. R. Harriman and Charles Stedman Hanks were lengthy, detailed, and assert that the details of the report are inaccurate and misrepresent the statistics for investors. They request that the 1905 report be corrected or go unpublished. Austin refutes the criticisms, stating that Harriman and Hanks do not understand the “modes of tabulation” used in the report and do not understand how the tables relate to each other. Austin agrees that perhaps the report does not contain detailed enough information for investors, but argues that the report is a general one and not meant for investors. Austin recommends publishing the 1905 report as soon as possible.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-10