Evening star., 1898-10-25

LOU OF " " III l. LLN L AOl
| on the bill when he had promised to do So.
| And also that he had refused TO iptercede
for the men who had been discharged on
account of being members of the Knights
of Labor
Mr.. Babcock stated to the committee
| that he did intercede for these men, and
even went SO far to get a meeting Of the
board of directors so that the knights of
Labor committee could have a hearing
One of your committee says he remembers
the time the board was called together.
and that it met in Mr.. Babcock's office. and
| the labor committee appeared before it,
MT Babcock states that the legislation re-
1erred to in this charge was asked for
through petition signed by the residents
benefited by the extension. and that the
president of the road came to his Office
ana told him he did not want this leg.sla-
ton at that time and asked him to keep
the Dill from passing. Mr.. Babcocf says
ne got this legislation through because
tnose citizens living in that neighborhood
said they were compelled to walk to the
cars and 1t was an imposition
Metropolitan Railway Bill.
This bill passed the House as an amend
ment to Senate bill 1928, which went to g.
conference committee and was changed to
read as follows:
" That the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company be. and is hereby, authorized and
required, within six months of the approval
OF this act, to extend the lines of its un-
derground electric system from the inter
sectlon or Connecticut avenue and Florida
avenue n; northward aong Columbia road 10
point on the west side of 18th street en-
TENDED: Provided, that the coripanv il
hereby authorized to raise and sell such
an amount of its capital stock as will. at
the market value cover the cost of con-
structing and equipping of the extension
herein provided. ]. w. Babcock, G. NJ
Curtis, j. d. Richardson, managers or
part OF House; James Mcmillan Charles
J; fauikner, managers on part of Senate.
Page 2155, Congressional Record. FIFTY
fourth Congress-
Third, that Mr.. Babcock fathered a bill
which gives complete monopoly to the
men Of POSITIONS
On this question we shall have little to
say, because we do not think it affects
labor or labor organizations to any extent.
as II WIN take as many men to drive the
hacks belonging to the railroad companies
as II would those owned by some one else
we find, also, that the same condition ex-
lists IN most of the large cities. Evidently
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad COMPANY
Is not imbued with the idea that it is such
monopoly, as it will not take advantage
of the opportunity.
Charges Rat Printing.
-" Fourth, that in 1896 the republican
campaign committee had their printing
done by the Feister Press Company, no
torious rat concern
M. Babcock, in answer to this question
referred to his books and showed your
committee where, in 1896, the Feister Press
Company did some printing for them. We
examined the list closely and found that
out of $50 orders printed that year fifteen
had been given to this concern. Mr. Bah
COCK says he has given positive Instructions
that the label must be on all documents
tn nj
that as soon as he discovered this was a
rat concern he gave them no more orders
He states that before having their cam
paign book of 1898 printed, they received
bids for the work and could have saved
on this publication alone $3.50 by having it
printed in an office which was not entitled
to the label
Fifth, that Mr.. Babcock introduced a
Dill and had it referred to his committee
which would, If passed. benefit labor en-
ployed in the building industry in the Dis
trlet ana then quietly pocketed the BILL
Clerks Statement.
I'VE called on the clerk of the District
committee in regard to this matter, and
was furnished the following statement,
which speaks for itself:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct 20, 1898.
AT the request of the investigating
committee of the Central Labor Union, l.
Harry w. Barney, clerk of the committee
on the District of Columbia House of Rem
reseatatives, Fifty-fifth Congress, make the
following statement in relation to H. R.
for material and labor furnished for Dis
trict of Columbia buildings" This bill
was introduced by Representative j. W.
Babcock, April 26, 1898, and on that date
referred to the committee on the District
OF Columbia, and ordered to be print ed
The official copy was delivered to me the
following day, April u. and, as there was
q legal point involved the bill was that iay
| referred to the subcommittee ju6iCiarv
of which Representative John J. Jenkins
of Wisconsin is chairman. the other mem
6ers being Representatives Shannon.
Sprague, Richardson and King Until the
bill was examined by this subcommittee
and reported to the full committee no fur
ther action by the committee could be TAX
en- great many bills having legal points
involved were referred to the subcommittee
on judiciary, and this one was not definite
ly acted upon by the subcommittee before
Congress adjourned: July s. 1898:
'(Signed) HARRY W. BARNEY
Interview With Mr.. Rabcock.
Your committee called on Mr.. Babcoch.
He stated that he had always been in favor
of labor;that he had been a labcrer himself,
having, in 1872. begun piing lumber as a
day laborer. We find from his own state.
ment and from two other witnesses that
Mr.. Babcock aided a committee from the
plate printers of the bureau of engraving
and printing in their opposition to the use
VI Slcdu VTeSSeS tne government. he
was also instrumental in getting the in
dustrial commission bill through Congress.
MIR Babcock insisted at the time the
Belt railway bill was brought up in a regu-
lar committee meeting that no action be
taken with reference to reporting it to the
House until the unpaid wages to the en-
ployes were guaranteed by the bondholders,
and a check for 5000 was deposited with
party mutually selected by the repr"sen-
tatives of the employees and the bondhold-
ers, to be Immediately paid upon passage
Of bill. The employees received their wages
promptly after the bill became a law, and
II rfsolution CT thanks was given Mr. I.at-
cock, signed by every employe SO benefited
who was then living in the city. 1t ap-
peared in The Star Of June s, 1898 and is
follows:
GRATITUDE EXPRESSED.
UNPAID Employees of Belt Railway to
Chairman Babcock.
We, the undersigned employees of the
Belt Railway Company, hereby tender to
Hon. j. w. Babcock and the other members
of the cOmn1iftea nm Of Vol,