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President Roosevelt writes to Secretary of War Wright with a letter from Samuel S. Slater and asks that the charges be fully investigated before any contract is awarded.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-12
President Roosevelt addresses three issues with Treasury Secretary Cortelyou. Roosevelt asks if it is necessary to appoint civil servants to the Assay Office without examination; registers his concern regarding the construction company Woodbury & Leighton in the matter of a new courthouse in Portland, Maine; and asks if laborers in the auction house in New York can be given a raise. He invites Cortelyou to join him for lunch to talk these matters over.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-08-14
Secretary of War Taft asks John F. Stevens if he knows the men W. J. Oliver proposes as his associates for his work on the Panama Canal. Taft is investigating Oliver before they accept any bid.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-02
Acting Secretary of War Oliver sends William Loeb a copy of a report made by Rear Admiral John Grimes Walker, Chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission related to transportation contracts and the shipping of materials to the Canal Zone.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-11-03
President Roosevelt sends the Interstate Commerce Commission a copy of a letter Secretary of the Treasury George B. Cortelyou received from the Board of Awards of Contracts. A proposed schedule of miscellaneous supplies prepared by the Board was also included. The Executive Departments will arrange to purchase supplies in accordance with the directions from the Board, and Roosevelt directs the Interstate Commerce Commission that supplies for the Commission should be purchased in the same manner.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-18
President Roosevelt sends Public Printer Donnelly a copy of a letter Secretary of the Treasury George B. Cortelyou received from the Board of Awards of Contracts along with a proposed schedule of miscellaneous supplies that the Board has prepared. The Executive Departments will arrange to purchase supplies in accordance with the directions from the Board, and Roosevelt directs Donnelly that supplies for the Government Printing Office should be purchased in the same manner.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-18
President Roosevelt returns Acting Secretary of the Navy Newberry’s letter as well as Senator Henry Cabot Lodge’s communication regarding the bids for supplying the Navy with electric lamps. He asks Newberry to forward all papers relating to this matter to Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte, and wishes Bonaparte to examine the matter and take action against the bidders.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-05-13
President Roosevelt advises Secretary of War William H. Taft that they should wait to open any bids on carrying cement until pending legislation on the use of American bottoms in Panama is voted on.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-16
President Roosevelt appoints Benjamin F. Harrah to a special committee with the purpose of examining government contracts and making any corrections deemed necessary.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-21
President Roosevelt has discussed the shipping matter with Winthrop L. Marvin and they agree that it is within his discretion as president. He believes they could defend giving American shipping firms up to fifty percent more than foreign competitors, but no more. Roosevelt thinks this is the correct position to take, knowing he will be attacked no matter what he does.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-29
President Roosevelt explains to architect C. Grant La Farge that it is difficult to keep his private life and public acts separate. To avoid impropriety, Roosevelt will give La Farge’s letter to Secretary of the Treasury George B. Cortelyou and let him decide if the project will be open to competition or to give it to La Farge.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-03-08
President Roosevelt asks Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock to execute the contracts for maintenance of pupils in contract schools which are not in suit and to pay the funds as soon as possible.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-28
President Roosevelt tells Representative Wanger that he will take up the case that Wanger mentioned involving the John McBrearty Shoe company, but that his understanding of the issue is that the company was guilty of defrauding the government and was blacklisted for that reason. Roosevelt says that “there is no man whom I am more anxious to harm in every way that [sic] the dishonest government contractor who tries to make money by furnishing a poor quality of goods to the army and navy,” and that if the facts about John J. McBrearty are as they have been reported to him, his company will not have any connection to the government for as long as Roosevelt is president. He promises to judge the case on its merits, though, and if he has been told incorrect information will remedy the situation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-12
President Roosevelt confirms receipt of Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte’s letter concerning John J. McBrearty, and already had some knowledge of the case. Secretary of War William H. Taft has told Roosevelt that McBrearty was “struck off the list of possible bidders in the War Department, for fraudulent practices,” and suggests that there should be cooperation between the War Department and the Department of the Navy regarding cases of this sort so that one department does not accept a contract from a merchant that another department has ruled out for fraud. He tells Bonaparte to follow his judgement regarding a Marine Corps civil service matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-05
President Roosevelt advises Dudley Stuart Dean that he will not give a recommendation letter to an associate, even a fellow Rough Rider, if they are seeking a government contract.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-06-28
John Williams has been involved with New York City contracts for the past 14 years and had connections with state senators. Recently, a corporation he raised money and did work for claimed all assets, cutting him out. Every time Williams has pursued the issue in court, his case has been overturned. Now, he is ready to speak out against corruption and offers to share information with Theodore Roosevelt and Comptroller William A. Prendergast about fraudulent city contracts.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-01-16
President-elect Taft advises President Obaldia of Panama that going forward with his country’s proposed government timber contract would be a critical mistake. If the deal proved to be good for the government and bad for the company that received the contract, there are insufficient safeguards in place to ensure the work is completed. If the timber is extremely profitable, the Panamanian government could find itself controlled by a private company. The United States would also be displeased to see another entity gain so much power in Panama. Taft shares this advice confidentially, and in an unofficial capacity. In a postscript, he assures Obaldia that he was not influenced by the “malignantly slanderous reports” on this topic in the American press, and he thanks Obaldia for the previous night’s “beautiful and magnificent entertainment.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-02-05
Attorney General Bonaparte provides legal advice for Secretary of the Navy Metcalf regarding the transportation of coal for the Navy from Atlantic to Pacific ports. Bonaparte finds that the prohibitions Metcalf mentioned do not apply to property owned by the government, and that coal for the Navy can be transported on foreign vessels if sufficient American vessels cannot be contracted or if they can only be had for an exorbitant price.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-10-03
Senator Lodge agrees with President Roosevelt’s views on the shipping matter but feels that the law of 1904 is not being interpreted as Congress intended. Contrary to Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte’s view on the matter, Lodge believes the law does not give the president control over coastwise traffic. He wishes Roosevelt would pay more attention to his advice. Lodge urges Roosevelt to handle the Fort Riley matter carefully before concluding the letter with some light-hearted commentary on Roosevelt’s activities while traveling.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-10-02
Senator Lodge sends President Roosevelt a copy of the speech he recently delivered to the Central Labor Union of Boston, to great applause. He discusses a proposed shipping agreement that he believes the government should accept, as this would support American shipping interests. Lodge is sorry to see the current Chinese Ambassador leave and finds his replacement burdensome and impertinent. He strongly disagrees with the conduct of E. B. Whitney in both political and business affairs, but thinks he has the support of a corrupt press. Lodge will send Roosevelt a copy of his convention speech.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-26