The Washington herald., 1907-03-12
Delegate Feeney Submits Re-
sumo to the C. L. [.
MENTIONS WILLIAM R. HEARST
Points Ont Fact That 1O1 Members
of House AntagOnfstfc to Trade
UniOnism Retired at Close of Ses-
sion-PrHises BeveridEe ChiId-Iabor
Measure-LsmpIiGhte Grievances

binders, chairman OF the Centfdi LhDOF
Union committee on legislation before
Congress, last night submitted his report
to that body, giving a resume OF the bills
before Congress in which organized labor
was interested and the action taken upon
these bills.
The report was. in part, as follows.
''The adjournment of the second ses-
sion of the Fifty-ninth Congress brings
to a close the Congressional career of lO1
members. some OF whom have been
throughout their various terms as MEM
bers Of the House always antagonistic
10 all labor measures, and especially
friendly to legislation in the interests of
the trusts and other big combinations of
wealth.
Mentions w. u. Hearst.
a few Of the members who are re-
firing have been noted for the good they
accomplished or endeavored 10 accomplish
in the interests Of labor and the working
people in general. and I desire TO
especially mention the two members of
the Committee on Labor, William Ran
dolph Hearst and John T. Hunt. both OF
whom retire TO private life at the close
of this Congress.
Among the many bills introduced In the
1 interests Of labor. ] desire to make brief
mention of the following:
THE eight-hour bin and anti-injunction
/ bills failed 10 pass. The immigration bill
/ became a law through the efforts of
/ President Roosevelt in forcing the anti
/ Japanese amendment on the bill in the
interests of the State of California and
the Pacific Coast.
''The bill preventing the railroads from
working their employees more than sixteen
/ hours out Of twenty-four hours was
passed by the Senate in good shape. The
railroad attorneys attacked it in the
House and when presented 10 that body
. for passage 1t was useless. II is far
from satisfactory. and no doubt an effort
Will be made TO again amend the law at
the next session Of Congress.
Many bills were presented for an in
crease Of compensation for the executive
clerks and employees Of the government.
and Notwithstanding the large number OF
bills introduced. not one OF them re-
ceived favorable report While every
member individually expressed himself as
favorable to the increase, each took par
ticular care 90 see that the bin increasing
his own salary was enacted.
The executive clerks and employees Of
the several departments of the govern
ment should II they desire an increase OF
their salaries, get together and organize,
and then have their representatives on
the ground 10 follow up the bill and lobby
for its passage, as the letter carriers and
other organizations have done.
ChiId-Iabor Bill Mentioned.
"One Of the most important bills intro
; duced on child labor is the Beyeridge
; bill Senator Beveridge endeavors In his
bill to prevent the products of any fac
tory or mine from being shipped into an
J other State If children under fourteen
years Of age are employed in said fac.
tories or mines.
Il appeared before the District Com
mittee by order Of this body to oppose
the Webber bill. and although I have
j been criticised for the stand / have
, taken, 1 have no regrets. as 1 believe
the enactment Of such a law would bC
j a deriment TO our city.
} Columbia Lodge Of Machinists. whose
members are employed in the Washington
b Navy Yard. made an earnest fight for az
? amendment TO the naval appropriation
bill for an appropriation TO rebuild and
b enlarge the foundry in the navy yard
E but the Pennsylvania delegation in Con.
2 gresS did not want the steel trust 10 lose
] such big, fat contracts, and they got al
the friends Of the corporations TO vote
r against the new foundry. no matter how
% economic it would be for the govern
ment."
, Delegate Feeney reviewed the fight o.
e the employees Of the Government Print
ing Office for a full thirty days leave
since the original bill was passed in 1855
r The full thirty working days leave the!
{ enjoyed for only "a short time. he said
r for despite a previous opinion that thi'
- was the Interpretation of the law, Comp
troller Matthews decided that the act pro
vided for thirty consecutive days.
Few Labor Bills Become Laws.
"Of the many labor bills introduce,
very few became laws, although it wa
rare to find a Congressman who woul'
openly express himself against labo
t measures. The time has come when or
= ganized labor and. N fact. the working
q people must see that only friends of tn
T. common people receive the nomination
D and election to Congress, and every uniol
man should take an interest in polite
: and throw aside party affiliation ant
vote for the man who is honest and fair.
In the Sixtieth Congress we will hav
= at least forty representatives who ow
: their nomination and election 10 the &C
tive part that organized labor took il
/ the last campaign, and l am pleased I
! say several of the new Congressman ar
union men, and will have in their posses
! sion paid-up union cards.
BampIighters' Grievances.
II 1t was reported by Delegate Stine an
| President Brinkman, who took the floor
that q promise had been obtained fror
/ President Coswell, of the American Lamp
lighting Company, at the company's head
/ quarters in Baltimore Saturday, that h
would order the reinstatement of nearl
all the men who it is alleged were dis
charged for membership in the nel
III LampIighters' Union An effort to max
an amicable adjustment with the Ioca
authorities was tried by the Central Labo
| Union committee on Wednesday, but the
| could accomplish nothing. President Cos
| well arranged an interview with ther
| for Saturday. At this interview ne sal
| that ne would order that all discharge
be stopped and the reinstatements made
| Notwithstanding this promise. it was sale
the discharges continued, as several me
| were laid of on Saturday evening jus
/ after it was made
Il John Riggles. from Columbia Lodge. il
! tTOduced a resolution, which was late
adopted. 10 the effect that the Presder
II be requested to make one of the ar
l. pOintees on the immigration COmmissio
| authorized by the last Congress a labC
man, or at least one who is familiar wit
/ the labor movement.