National Republican., 1878-08-05
AN ELEEMosyNARy COMMITTEES.

Mr.. HEWITT Is honored with the chair
manship Of an investigating committee
which is likely to discharge its delicate and
important duties without the means of cor
rupting witnesses by subornation of perjury
or any other temptations to crime and extrav-
agance. The committee was instituted by
the House of Representatives to investigate
the labor question, ascertain the causes of
popular discomfort, the necessities of the
toilers and to suggest remedies. If not
wisely, it judiciously, perhaps, guarded the
committee against wanton and extrava-
CANT expenditure of the peoples money by
neglecting to vote dollar for its use. II is
not unreasonable to suppose that the labors
of such q committee, which involves time,
effort, and brains, would require money
but enough has not been furnished to pay
for sheet OF paper, a goose quill, bottle
of ink, compensate a witness, or employ
ergeant-at-arms-to say nothing of divers
and sundry other expenses usually incident
upon investigations. For the want of money
to pay rent the committee squatted in one
of the rooms in the post-office building in
New York City, and is grinding away, with
Citizen ScHwAB in attendance, apparently
as supervisor Of the affair.
! Speaking of SCHwAB the Graphic repre-
sents him as citizen, one of whose princi-
pies is never to wear a collar and always TO
look rs much like u laboring man as possible
His stomach threw into the shade narrow
gold watch-guard, and his face, which Is
very open and good one, was covered
by hage felt hat, whose crown bears only
q very indefinite proportion to its huge rim.
While Mr.. SCHwAB Is evidently deeply in
terested in this investigation, and is some-
what conspicuous in attendance, he insists
that he is only present us witness, and is
signing for the time to come when he can
discharge his Great Eastern of its vast
freight of information on the subject under
consideration. Indeed, he is just dying to
tell what he knows about labor Theoretically,
for he evidently has no practical knowledge
on the subject lie claims great liberality
Of views, and his prominence in that direc-
ton calls down on him the jeers of some of
the horny-handed sons of toll. Says one
of this class in the crowd to him, rather
ieeringly: " If your views are liberal, why
don't you sell beer at three cents glass ~
TO which he promptly replied: I'd be glad
" the profit. When they come down to 80
" a barrel (and cannot see why they should
" not J, then we will sell our beer at three
" cents a glass, and glad to do it," lie did
not seem anxious to continue this subject
and passed himself over to an interviewer
who drew him into more remote corner oI
the room
Present indications are that this commit
tee will accomplish nothing of value by thi'
investigation if it is todepeud upon SCHwAf
and that class of reiormers for information
by which the difficult labor problem can b,
a stone-cutter, who ran his head against
granite block Of common sense before h,
had proceeded far, aud his ideas of the labo
question became II good deal confused by
the collision. The question Of the Govern
mcnt doing its work directly with the Ia
borer instead of through the contractor, al,
thus taking it out OF the hands OF. pOliti
clans, was raised early, and Mr.. HEWITT es
sayed TO argue the case by renurkng tina
, if direct employment by the Government
=, was to be substituted for the contract sys
TEN the politicians would have it all thei
-. own way. This was granite presentation
- and the committee and witnesses continu
TO wrestle with the problem under mucl
f confusion of ideas.
Up to Saturday afternoon, when tn
8 committee closed its labors for the week
. the testimony consisted Of the crude view
OF the workngmens representatives, eacl
y one of whom has some indefinite ideas .
Q the causes which have led to the prescn
4 depressed state of affairs, and OF the rene
: dies which may be applied, Some attribut
the existing condition Of things to Nations
s and State legislation, the granting of subs
dies to railroad corporations, and the pay
: ment Of interest on our bonds. The publ