Evening star., 1897-02-27
LABOR QUESTIONS
Debate in the Senate on the Metro
politan Extension.
Mr.. ALIENS RESOLUTION TABLED
Refusal to Recall the Bill From the
President.
MATTERS IN THE HOUSE

IN the senate today Mr.. Hoar tAIassl
presented bill making i, an ofrense pun
isfsble by fine of sI.p. for a senator or
member OF the House of REPRESENTATIVES
or member-elect of either hody TO oh
struct the constitutional powers of Com
| gress.
| Inc measure Is designed 20 NEE, a possi-
Die emergency by which concerted absence.
failure tc qualify, etc, would paralyza
the functions Of Congress. Mr.. Hoar said
there was no present danger In this re-
| sard, ana Tor this reason the measure was
| opportune to avoid nenacing conditions
| which might arise.
Ar. Quay again sought to secure action
on the Duluth bridge bill but Mr.. Villas OBJ
| jected.
The bill for The RELIEF Of Daniel Draw
| baush, involving questions relating 10 the
telephone. was recommit;ed to the COM
l mittee on pa tents on the request OF thc
| chairman, Mr.. Plat tCounD.
Discussion of Labor Quentiops.
| The controversy between the X OF L.
| and the metropolitan Street Railway Com
pany OF the District of Columbis over the
| discharge of employees aroused a general
discussion OF labor questions.
| Mr. Allen iNeb) cndeavored to secur..
| sion of the Metropolitan company's lines.
| He read letters from Master Workman
| Sovereign and other *. of l.. officers
| to the discharge of street railway .,m-
| ployes because they belonged 10 labor or
| ganlzations. The opposition to the bill
| was based mainly on this labor contro-
| verSy.
| Mr.. Mcmillan iNich.p. chairman OF the
| District committee. said the X. of J.. Off
| GERS had been given hearing and the con-
clusion was reached that this measure was
| in the interest of the public. which should
| not he complicated with collateral aues-
| tions.
THE same old story, responded Mr..
| Allen sarcasiically.
| 1T is the public that asks this l. ,,lsla-
| lion. not the street railroad company"
| Mr.. Gallingrr N. ID d-clared that NJ.
| Aliens stock OF nlisinformation was monD-
mental. and he was stirring up tenn
r.st in tea pot.
| This bill had been carefully considered
and fully understood.
| Il have no doubt 1t il fully understood
| by the senator from New Hampshire, said
| Mr.. Allen holly. Il have no doubt he is
ready to lin. up With street railway
| company against its employees"
Mr.. Mills Texast said employees should be
protected in a bill granting valuable ex-
| tension OF franchise No employe should
| he discharged except on charges presented
| before the Commissioners OF the District.
1 Mr. Faulkner Nv. fa.b. III defending the
bill. declared mis- sympathy with the cause
| Of labor. But there we've TWO distinct
| rights. The right of labor to organize
| and the right of the employer to direct his
| affairs. Labor must seek protection as
| capital did by combining, and thus organ
| lied il could meet organized capital.
AT this point Mr.. Feffsr ikanD interJected
| n notice of a motion insiructing the finance
! committee to report the results OF its in
| Nestigation oil bond issues. directed at the
last session OF Congress.
The labor controversy had aroused un-
| usual feeling among senators. more than
| is usually shown on measures of general
| concern
| Laid On the Table.
Mr.. Gallinger resented the intimstions
of Mr.. Allen that he lGsilinger) was not
| i'm sympathy with labor. He was MEM
| Der OF the International Typographical
Union: he knew from personal experience
| the struggles of labor: but he did not be
| lieve in Submitting to outside dictation,
which sought to take this corporation by
| the throat. He moved to table the Allen
motion TO reconsider the bill. There were
protests and talk OF gag rule" The vote
was taken. and the motion to table pre-
yaled-3t to "a.
Mr.. Gray Del) presented petition from
Wilbur Z. Crafts. who made the contest
| against Sunday opening OF the worlds fair,
against Sunday sessions of the Senate.
Mr.. Butler IN. CD gave notice OF a mo-
tion to reconsider the vote on the passage
| late last night of the bin for refunding the
debt of the territories.
When the bill for an international mon
etary conference came over from the House
Mr.. Chandler IN. H), who was In chars.
or the bill In the Senate. said he would
! move Monday to concur in the House
amendments.
Post OMce Bill Up.
The post Office appropriation bill was
| then taken up.
An amendment by Mr.. Butler (N CO
was accepted. providing that no more shall
he raid to railroad companies than is pail
to them by exDreSS eOmn:nies
MIR. Petigrew spoke of the enormous
cost of carrying the mails 1t was al the
rate Of cents pound. greater than tho
charges of express companies, which paid
their employees and made heavy profits.
The cost Of carrying the mail from New
York TO Buffalo would pay the interest on
the cost of double track railroad between
these points. The senator pointed out
many specific comparisons of high rates
charged the government against low
rates for ordinary freight. There mad been
no reduction in twenty years. although the
cost had fallen one-Lalf. Besides this
the senator asserted, every year the gov
ernment was paying ssa.19 more for the
use OF mail cars than these cars could bo
built for. The government had paid for
these cars over and over again fer twenty
years
Mr.. Pettisre1 declared that when the
new tariff blll-the modern prescription for
prcsperity-was taken up Congress would
have to deal with the grave question that
the railways were able TO offset the effect
of a protective tariff by giving such low
rates on imported goods as to overcome
the protective duty.
The senator also spoke of the cheating
In overwhelming the mais the placing of
railway officials in charge OF government
bureaus having charge Of carrying the
mails and otner alleged abuses.
The Butler amendment again came rp
when Mr.. Allison. in charge of the bill,
Withdrew his offer 10 accept the amend
ment. He thought the whole question OF
payment to railways should await the re-
suits of the proposed inquiry.
Mr.. Faulkner also interposed a point OF
order against the nlea1ment, which the
chair, Mr.. Carter presiding, sustained.
THE HOUSE.
The Inauguration visitors for the first