The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-01-29
BEVERIDGE AGAIN ON
 CHILD LABOR BILL
Says Southern Mills and Rail-
 roads Oppose It
PULLMAN TAKES A HAND
Northern MiIlionaires Buy Mills and Influence Legislation Against Child Labor Laws-Spooner Has
 Spirited CoIIoquy.

Washington, January &.-Senator Rev. eridge today resumed his speech in be. half of the measure prohibiting interstate commerce articles which are the produc- tion of child labor. MT. Beveridge stated that three-fourths of the cotton factories of the south were opposing the bill that the railroads of the south were opposing 1t and that the coal mine operators of the south were opposing it. He presented an illustrative map showing the location of the opposing industries, and said that in anticipation of thls weighty opposition he should devote the major portion to speech setting forth evidence of, the de- plorable conditions he had pictured. This evidence, he said,, was all sworn to and in the form of affdavits.
 When MT Beveridge made the state ment that the recently enacted child labor law of Georgia was "dead-letter," !" Mir. Bacon took issue with him.
 MT. Beveridge asserted there had been filed 5000 applications for permits for child labor under the law.
 How many of them have been grant ed?" asked MT. Bacon.
 All of them" replied Mir Beveridge. MT. Bacon then explained that the law prohibiting children under 12 years of age to working after January 1, 1907.
 Yes" responded MT. Beveridge, but there is not an inspector of state and no means of enforcing that provision. What good is measure of that kind?'
 TilIman Acknowledges EviE
 Senator Tillman acknowledged the very great evil If child labor in his state and asked Mir. Beveridge to submit all the evidence possible, that it might be used in a crusade for state legislation. Add ing to the difficulty in his state, he said was the northern millionaire who came there, invested his money in cotton mills and then influenced the legislature against child labor laws
 The senator Is, to a certain extent right" interrupted Senator Gallagher There is northern money in South Caro- lima and God help South Carolina, il there wasn't any more there"
 A spirited colloquy resulted between Senators Spooner and Beveridge when the former asked if it was the position of the Indiana senator that Congress had power to enact under the commerce. clause of the constitution, law which would prevent child labor In the states
 MT. BeVeridge replied that he so held MT. Spooner indicated that he should later have something to say against that position. Mir Beveridge retorted that the senator could issue a fiat" if he saw fit, indicating at the same time that this fiat would be from the Senate ju- dietary committee.
 Spooners Fiat.
 T issue the fiat for myself" retorted MT. Spooner.
 You did give a fiat to yourself" con- tinued MT. Beveridse when you intro duced resolution directing the judiciary committee to advise the Senate on the constitutionality of the question in- Volved."
 He then said that the effect of the resolution was to make Senator Spooner chairman of the subcommittee which would report on the matter MT. Spooner replied that he had been a member of the Senate for some time-somewhat longer than the senator from 1ndana-but, he added that he did not expect to be a senator as long as the senator from In- diana, and that it was not an unusual thing for the Senate to refer matter to the judiciary committee for report as to the power of Congress to act on a given matter
 ''The fiat lay in the adoption of that resolution" he concluded
 MT. Berevidge then remarked that he
 
 had announced when the senator was not in the chamber that he would be glad to answer any question. To this MT. Spoon CT replied that the committee would be glad to get information from the senator on the question, and that he should be glad to do so
 "Of course" retorted MT. Beveridge, ''I cannot give the senator information, nor can anybody else'
 He then added:
 well I might, but the senator does not think so."
 MT. Beveridge closed the incident by remarking that it might be well to post pone action until the supreme court had pronounced on the subject.
 But there seems to be here he added "a junior supreme court, with a desire to relieve the supreme court of the United States of constitutional questions, and the Senate of all constitutional responsi- bility. and above all l think this practice is extremely dangerous"
 He continued his speech until o'clock when the Senate adjourned until tomor- row.
 
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