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Secretary of the Treasury Shaw responds to press coverage of the Treasury Department’s policies. Shaw argues that more money is needed in the summer due to higher demand for hard currency. Despite the opposition to the increase by opponents of Wall Street, Shaw says he has heard from many in business who appreciated his actions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-27
Ludwig Nissen suggests that Secretary of the Treasury Shaw make an effort to stop newspapers from discrediting the economic policies of the administration. Nissen tells Shaw that newspapers should give him more credit for helping businessmen, rather than portraying him as helping speculators.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-24
William Henry Porter writes to William Emlen Roosevelt. Porter worries about issuing a special currency unless it is a temporary emergency measure and discusses what he believes are the minimum and maximum taxation and interest rates for such currency.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-22
Max Pracht reports on corruption in the land office that he witnessed while a special agent in Colorado. Pracht details the misuse of government funds by William A. Richards, Commissioner of the General Land Office, and his report of it to Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock and Hitchcock’s private secretary W. Scott Smith. The final two pages detail Pracht and Smith’s relationship.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-22
Secretary of the Treasury Shaw sends President Roosevelt a clipping that suggests that Secretary of State Elihu Root is investigating the customs administration to obtain material “for possible modifications of American tariff laws.” Since investigating tariff laws falls under the duty of the Treasury Department and not the State Department, Shaw doubts this is the case, and he doubts there is reason for friction, but he writes to clarify the situation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-22
James Noel Brown congratulations Leslie M. Shaw on his work as Secretary of the Treasury and for his suggestion of an “Emergency Currency.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-23
Treasurer of the United States Charles H. Treat addresses the condition of currency laws in the United States, and proposes several ideas to help the elasticity of currency and avoid panics and large fluctuations. While Treat does not say that any of the plans suggested in the speech are the best, he emphasizes that there should be a system across all banks to safeguard the value of United States bonds, and that the government should work to regulate tax rates on credit so that the taxes are not a burden to borrowers.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-18
President John Claflin of the H. B. Claflin Company acknowledges receipt of a memorandum on currency reform from United States Treasurer Charles H. Treat. As requested, Claflin sends suggestions to President Theodore Roosevelt. He does not think forming an association of Clearing House banks will be feasible nor does he concur on the taxes Roosevelt is proposing. He suggests consulting with Frank A. Vanderlip and Charles A. Conant, the “best informed members of the Chamber of Commerce Committee.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-19
Secretary of War William H. Taft relays to President Roosevelt his view that the Cuban government should pay for the construction and maintenance of quarters for the United States Army’s stay in Cuba during the occupation. However, Army officers’ salaries should not be taken from the Cuban treasury. Taft hopes that United States Comptroller of the Currency William Barret Ridgely will agree that U.S. funds can be expended so that construction can begin immediately and then the Cuban treasury can reimburse the expense. Both Army Chief of Staff General James Franklin Bell and newly named Provisional Governor of Cuba Charles Edward Magoon concur with Taft’s view.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-10
Paul Morton gives President Roosevelt his assessment on the currency question and other economic matters, and suggests that he contact Charles A. Conant or Frank A. Vanderlip if he wants unofficial expert advice. Morton likes the idea of Roosevelt issuing a manifesto on Cuba and suggests that there will never be a better time for it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-14
Secretary of the Treasury Shaw will try to support the Republican campaign in Colorado and Texas as President Roosevelt requests, but Representative J. S. Sherman, chair of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, has made appointments which may interfere with Shaw’s being able to go. Regarding the appointment of a new diamond appraiser at the Port of New York, Shaw recommends that Roosevelt use an Executive Order to make an appointment, as the Civil Service examination will not produce a suitable candidate. Shaw had a successful campaign trip to North Carolina.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-13
Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw recommends that President Roosevelt issue an executive order appointing James Campbell as deputy surveyor of customs in Baltimore, Maryland.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-07
Representative Ebenezer J. Hill offers Theodore Roosevelt his opinion on the German tariff issue. Hill is concerned that a retaliatory tariff increase could be detrimental to the American people and economy and writes that passing such a tariff would be “ruinous to the Republican Party.” Hill also offers assessments on the benefits of producing alcohol within the United States to lower the costs, and also to produce kerosene and gasoline more cheaply domestically.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-04
Assistant Secretary of State Adee thanks President Roosevelt’s secretary William Loeb for his prompt reply regarding the Spanish commercial arrangement and has passed along the proclamation to the press.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-30
Senator Lodge encloses a letter from William E. Alger, consular agent in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, who happens to be Lodge’s cousin. Lodge thanks Roosevelt for sending him Frederick Scott Oliver’s biography on Alexander Hamilton and reviews the work and other Hamilton biographies, and expresses his opinion on early American politics.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-20
This report provides statistics and analysis regarding tariff concessions to the United States by Brazil, including details of specific rates of imports proportionate to Brazilian exports.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-29
L. V. McKesson thanks President Roosevelt for explaining the process of how presidential appointments are made. McKesson thinks that President McKinley allowed his managers to make appointments and corruption spread as a result. McKesson points to the appointment of of George P. Waldorf as collector of internal revenue at Toledo, Ohio, to illustrate and encloses two clippings from recent Toledo newspapers on the subject. McKesson notes that it is commonly known that Waldorf is involved in base political manipulations. McKesson thinks the alternative candidate for the position, W. V. McMaken, would be little better than Waldorf and feels that Leroy E. Clark would better represent Roosevelt’s principles.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-06
Assistant United States Treasurer Fish tells President Roosevelt of a letter he received from Senator Thomas Collier Platt. Fish told Roosevelt that because of his cordial relationship with Platt, he was inclined to honor the senator’s request to meet unless Roosevelt did not wish it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-14
Secretary of the Treasury Shaw tells President Roosevelt that he instructed the collector’s office to investigate Edward S. Fowler. Shaw includes the report with his letter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-26
John E. Wilkie states the extra words in the translated body of text are part of the cipher. They are necessary to make the cipher more difficult to read.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-03-15