The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-19
HAD LIVELY COLLoQUY
HEARING ON pss ARBITRA-
 TToN BILL.
Daniel Davenport Says it's Passage VIII Give Inquistorial Powers 10 Investigate Eivate Affairs
 of Bushes Concerns.
Adertiser Bureau,
 Inlnradl Building,

| Washington. Marcn b. l n;a an unusually anil lated discussion too1 | p.Hcc before a st-comnittee or the Touse Te Committee bn Labor over the ross bll to creat a national arbitra- M M.Ion tribunal, participated in Dy Hepre- sns4tlves Vreelanl, Conner and Hughes cago, A, Furusethbf the seaman's Union. DanieI Davenporto of Bridgeport, Conn, Iepresenting the American Anti-Boycott AsSociation, and others.
 ,nn ms being the hrst hearing given on ueanng with natonal arbitration, the Eenerai subject Tas touched upon. Mo- stce was gfvon te committee that at a auLure date Bispp Spalding of Illinois, s snd Judye Gray bf Delaware, both mem bers of the Anthracite Coal Commission. would appear bfore it in behalf of the general proposition.
 m the discussbn this morning Mir. Day. enport took thu ground that the provis- character as tqgive to the proposed tri- punai inquisitoiai powers to investigate tne business of 91 per cent. of the ner- craHts and manufacturers in the United combated by IF. Whitney and MT. Day. enport was subjected to running fire or questioning from the members of the committee ant Mir. Furuseth.
 MT. Whttne% who Is clerk to the Cona- mittee on NRal Affairs. of which Rep resentative FSss is Chairman. briefly re- viewed the Ill which had been drawn py Volney V. Foster of Chicago, after consultation with a number of Senators. members of Congress, merchants, bank CTS ana lab@ leaders, and in the prep sration Of which Mir Whitney had as- sisted. The bill creates a tribunal con- slsting Of ax members at salary of $S0OO a yeai each to investigate all dis puted questions between labor and cap ital at the equest of either party to the dispute. M. Whitney thought compul- scry aroftrttion would be unconstitution- al, which vas disputed by MT. Furuseth. He presented number of letters in sup port of the bill and some to the effect that compulsory arbitration was prefer able. the sentiment among the labor leaders being apparently divided between compulsory and voluntary arbitration.
 MT. Davenport, in behalf of the oppo- nents of the Foss and similar bills, made a clean-cat. statement of the attitude of those men whom he represented, who were opposed to any interference between employers and employees by the Govern ment, whether under the guise of volun- tary or compulsory arbitration.
 The provisions of this bill are so nu- merous. said the witness. ''it covers such a wide field and Is so fraught with mischief that I must condemn it as a whole. Its effect would be to subject every manufacturer and every employer of the country to the espionage and all- searching eye of the Federal Govern ment. MT. Davenport pointed out at some length that the power of Congress over interstate commerce is complete; it can regulate,--it can prohibit; it Is vast, illimitable and. plenary, he said To ex- ercise this power, in the direction pro- posed would open the way for legislation of even more sweeping character. He maintained that under the bill the tri- bunal could Investigate the business af- fairs of substantially any one 1t chose, engaged in interstate commerce or do- ing business in the District of Columbia and the Territories"
 This statement led to a lively colloduy between Representatives Hughes and Nreeland on one hand and MT. Daven- port on the other.
 Do you believe in Government arbI-
 No sir. I do not. don't believe 1t Is any business of the State Government or the Federal Government to interfere in such matters" was the reply.
 Do you believe in strikes?'' continued Mir. Hughes.
 Certainly. believe in the right of any man to quit work at any time either by himself or in conjunction with oth-
 MT .Furuseth attempted to bring out that MT. Davenport advocated the abso- lute control of the employe by the em- ployer, but the witness confined himself to advocating the proposition that the employer should be master of his own
 
 by Representative Vreeland that an em- ployer should have absolute right to say whom he should employ and how he should employ them just as an individual has the right of selecting for whom he shall work. Tn the end society will come back to the old principle" said Mir Davenport, ''of enforcing the laws permitting a man to run his own bus 1ress and the right of every man to work"
 what penalty is provided fin the billY, questioned Mir. Hughes.
 'The publication of a mans private business" was the response.
 Isn't that all?" said Mir. Hughes.
 Isn't that enoughT' replied the wit ness. Tt is such an invasion of that natural privacy which every one wants and every one knows Is necessary to con- duct ones business that it is the severest kind of penalty. Even the French lice powers to this extent"
 That is very unfair" said Mir Whit ney, at the conclusion of Mir. Daven- ports remarks. The bdll does not pro- pose any such thing"
 "Do you mean that" began MT Day. enport.
 II didn't interrupt you" said MT. Whitney. sharply. Let me make my statement. This is not bill of inuuisi- tion," he continued. pounding the table vigorously.
 After rapid exchange between mem- and Mir Davenport, the latter said
 "H the construction I place upon the bill is correct 1t should not be passed and 1t would arouse the country, would 1t not?'' he said. addressing Mir. Whitney.
 Why surely it would" replied the latter.
 R. H. Watkins.