The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-02-23
Tawnev Shows Co!ors.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-Represen-
tative Tawney, Of Minnesota, chair
man Of the appropriations committee
Of the house, is very much opposed to
the Beveridge child labor bill, on the
ground that it is unconstitutional. Be-
cause Of his position at the head Of
the appropriations committee he Is
being bombarded with letters from all
parts of the United States, asking
him to permit an appropriation to be
made providing for a federal investi-
cation of the child labor question.
On some days as many as a hundred
of these letters have been received.
Some Of them are from Minnesota. In
that state President Northrup Of the
state university has written Mr.. Taw-
Dey, urging that the appropriation be
made. Another letter of similar
character was received today by Mr..
TaWney from Lyndon A. Smith of
Montevideo former lieutenant COVER
nor. Mr.. Tawney has answered the
Smith letter today, and he permits us
to quote from it by way Of explaining
his Views on the question. Mr.. Taw-
ney says in part:
NoI NatlQnS Frovlnce.
Judging from the number of let
ters 1 am receiving from all parts Of
the United States on this subject, it
is evident that I am regarded by the
people who favor this woman and child
labor investigation as the principal OBJ
stacle In the way Of securing the
same. I realize that there would be
a Avo y7<o oH,
standpoint In this investigation, but I
cannot see how those who are inter-
F5estsd can claim that It Is the duty Of
! the esfsdesalsss soxsraraels++s to- make 4ha.
fss5 :: SH' = Is;
1.-THE conditions surrounding the en-
ployment of women and children or
the employment of labor of any kind
in the various industries in the states
cannot be dealt with by national leg
islation, no matter how serious these
conditions might be or how detrimen-
tai they might be to the safety Of the
person or the moral and physical con-
dition Of the employees. It is mat
ter with which the states along can
deal from the standpoint Of corrective
legislation; and the burden of obtain
ing information concerning these con-
ditions as we'll as the duty OF elimin-
ating them rests exclusively upon the
states. It is for this reason that I
have opposed the Investigations"
6everidge Denounces Report.
When shown the report, Senator
Beveridge characterized as inexcus-
able the action of the house committee
on Judiciary in reporting that the fed
eral government has absolutely no
jurisdiction over the regulation of wo-
man and child labor.
In charging that the house commit
tee purposely ignored supreme court
decisions and existing legislation in
which similar principle is involved,
the senator declared:
within the last two years-and par
ticularly within the last year-the plan
seems to have developed Of killing
any reform bill which congressmen
and senators do not want to vote upon
by referring the question involved
to the judiciary committee of the SEN
ate or house. This committee then
either delays a report or else reports
that the proposed bill is 'unconstitu-
tional.' Certain men then go around
and say, What is the use taking up
further time; the judiciary committee
says the bill is unconstitutional Thus
any bill may be killed before it is con-
stdered, and Representatives and SEN
ators escape responsibility"