The passing show
Cartoon depicting several governmental agencies vying for President Roosevelt’s attention.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1903-03-08
Your TR Source
United States. Dept. of Commerce and Labor
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William C. LeGendre
President Roosevelt defends his business policies, including: the creation of the Department of Commerce, the ending of the Anthracite Coal Strike, and bringing suit against the Northern Securities Company. Roosevelt has heard a lot of “dishonest nonsense” from wealthy men that should know that Wall Street’s troubles come from “watering of stocks” and speculation, not any action taken by the government. Roosevelt wants to do what is right for the business world and what is right for the world of labor.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1903-08-13
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Walbridge Perkins
President Roosevelt asks George Walbridge Perkins to use his influence with Speaker Henderson for the Department of Commerce bill. Also, Roosevelt thinks Perkins should use his Chicago contacts to ensure that Representative Mann’s report on the bill is sensible.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1902-12-26
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Williams
Theodore Roosevelt writes to Commissioner of Immigration Williams regarding complaints made to him about a Department of Commerce and Labor ruling that Jews are to be classified as Hebrews on paperwork for outgoing immigrants. Roosevelt does not understand why religious affiliation should be included on such paperwork and would like to know more about the papers and their purpose.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1911-07-05
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Herbert Knox Smith
President Roosevelt is pleased with Herbert Knox Smith’s draft.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1909-01-18
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Francis G. Newlands
President Roosevelt has placed Senator Newlands’s letter before Secretary of Commerce and Labor Oscar S. Straus with the instructions to follow Newlands’s instructions. Roosevelt is glad Newlands liked his action on the Council of Fine Arts.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1909-01-18
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Oscar S. Straus
President Roosevelt asks Secretary of Commerce and Labor Straus if there is currently, or is likely to be, a vacancy in his department. Roosevelt hopes to transfer Isabella Hagner to a government clerkship position, and is looking for a suitable opening.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-12-29
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Oscar S. Straus
President Roosevelt directs Secretary of Commerce and Labor Straus to send him information relevant to the Aldrich resolution, which relates to the employment of special investigators, so that he may give a comprehensive report to the Senate.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-12-22
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Parker Willis
President Roosevelt asks Professor Willis if he would be willing to serve on an Interdepartmental Statistical Committee in an advisory role, in light of his prior service on the Committee on Statistical Reorganization of the Department of Commerce and Labor.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-12-04
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edwin R. A. Seligman
President Roosevelt tells Professor Seligman that he recently appointed an interdepartmental statistical committee to examine the methods of preparing statistics in various governmental departments. He asks for Seligman’s assistance in an advisory capacity.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-12-04
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Jeremiah Whipple Jenks
Acting on the suggestion of the Committee on the Statistical Reorganization of the Department of Commerce and Labor, President Roosevelt is establishing an Interdepartmental Statistical Committee. As Professor Jenks’s suggestions were very useful to the Committee on the Statistical Reorganization of the Department of Commerce and Labor, Roosevelt asks if he would be willing to join this newly formed committee in an advisory capacity.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-12-04
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Owen Wister
After discussing the matter with the Department of State and the Department of Commerce and Labor, President Roosevelt tells Owen Wister that it is clear that Princess Sofia Grigorievna Kropotkina should not be allowed into the United States. The mere fact that she calls herself an anarchist is reason enough, and Roosevelt adds that he personally does not think she should come, as anarchists “add to the strength of the worst and most vicious elements of our civilization.”
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-11-10
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Brown McKinley
President Roosevelt agrees with Representative McKinley’s comments on the amount of constructive, beneficial legislation accomplished by Congress in the past seven years. He lists specific pieces of legislation that he feels “form a record of substantial legislative achievement in harmony with the best and most progressive thought of our people.” Roosevelt argues that electing William H. Taft will ensure such progress continues.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-09-09
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Theo. A. Bingham
President Roosevelt encloses a report to General Bingham, New York Police Commissioner. The New York Police Department is irritated with the Department of Commerce and Labor for supposed failure to cooperate. The State Department is upset with the New York Police Department for supposed laxness in criminal arrests in Central America. Roosevelt acknowledges such disputes occur between governmental departments and does not doubt there will be improvements.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-08-19
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Herbert Knox Smith
President Roosevelt finds the recent memorandum by Herbert Knox Smith both discouraging and surprising. Roosevelt thinks examining the “seemingly inexplicable” differences in pricing from Chicago to Boston or Providence would be a useful field of research. Roosevelt would like to see Smith in person to discuss making a report of his findings.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-07-27
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Bacon
President Roosevelt asks Acting Secretary of State Bacon to refer to an enclosure, and says that he is of the opinion that Frank P. Sargent, Commissioner of Immigration, should be sent to Japan. There are still many Japanese laborers arriving in the United States who should not be. Roosevelt says that there seems to have been some difficulty with the Department of Commerce and Labor, and asks to know what the difficulty is so that he can fix it.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-07-06
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas F. Drake
President Roosevelt asks Insurance Commissioner Drake to draft a bill providing of the transfer of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance to the Department of Commerce and Labor.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-04-07
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles E. Knoblauch
President Roosevelt admonishes Charles E. Knoblauch that he should not show anyone his correspondence with Roosevelt unless he has complete confidence in them, as it appears that someone betrayed his trust regarding the confidentiality of a previous letter. Roosevelt reminds Knoblauch that he is not responsible for any bills introduced in Congress, and the only one that he has been involved with is the one against bucket shops.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-03-08
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lawrence O. Murray, Herbert Knox Smith, and Charles Patrick Neill
President Roosevelt instructs Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Labor Murray, Commissioner of Corporations Smith, and Commissioner of Labor Neill to investigate the situation in Goldfield, Nevada and submit a report of their findings upon their return. All federal officials have been directed to assist them in this endeavor.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1907-12-11
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur von Briesen
President Roosevelt will ask Lawrence O. Murray to visit Arthur von Briesen and go over the matter with him personally. Roosevelt is sure the two men will get along.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1907-09-23