The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-10-04
Thus Hunter Says of Hill. Henry and Sperry, Representa-
 lives in Congress
Higgins and TiIsOn New Men, But They Have Been Faith full to the Opponents
 of Labor
Hill on the Ways and Means Committee Was Instrumental in Foisting the OdiOus Payne -AIdrich Tariff Bill Upon Sweating Country
Especial to The Farmer )

Hartford, Oct. 4.-Robert Hunter, the talented young candidate of the Socialists, speaking in the rooms of his party in this city, last night, made a scorching indictment of the records of the Connecticut delegation in Con- gress. Hill, Higgins, Henry, Stevens and TiIson, in respect of labor legfs- 1ation. He spoke as follows:
 On January 27, 1906, the House of Representatives passed an Urgent De- fciency Bill carrying with it new legislation which abolished the eight hour law at Panama during the con- struction of the canal.
 Labor made a vigorous protest, but in spite of such protest the proposal was carried by a vote of 12o yeas: no nays, II answering present, and 145 not voting ; On this rdsapTeg pTogosi mot voting,'' but Higgins and Sperry voted 'taye.''
 proposal by Littlef1eld, of Maine, to abolish compulsory pilotage on the Atlantic coast was voted upon in the House of Representatives.
 Labor organizations and lovers of humanity made vigorous efforts to defeat this anti-pilotage bill and suc- ceeded. The vote recorded shows 100 present. and 1os are recorded as mot voting On this bill Henry, Higgins, Hill and Sperry are all rec unanimous opinion that vessels freighted with human beings should be permitted to leave and enter har- bors without the aid of skillful
 On February IS, 1907, the Hours of Service Bill, (the sixteen hour road employes), came before the House in the shape of a substitute by Esch of Wisconsin, for the LaFollette bill which had passed the Senate. The ESSch substitute denounced by the Repr esentatives of the Railway em- ployes in Washington as the great a matter of legislation" The minor ity members of the Committee on In terstate Commerce in their report said "the contradictions and Vagaries of the substitute trif1e with the de- mands and hopes of the public for protection, and that it was not ap- and protection the public desired or titled to-
 On this legislation Henry, Higgins, Hill and Sperry were each and all recorded as voting-''aye:'
 On March s, l, S 1927, ea the interests 4he ni15 to 8 consideration and vote. The merican labor movement has always opposed that measure; the features whole spirit of American governm ent
 The Subsidy bill that was urged by the interests on this date had incor-
 
 jectionable provision which if it had been enacted into law would have compelled seamen to sign articles en- listing in the Naval Reserve. Other-s wise they could not have obtained employment as seamen in such pri- vately owned vessels.
 That meant of course that Am eri- can seamen would have been thus forced into involuntary servitude and the whole scheme was close ap- proaeh to the system of conscription that formerly prevailed in European countries. These objections were call ed to the attention of the Connecti- resentatives, but in spite of that Messrs. Henry, Higgins, Hill and Sperry are all recorded voting 'taye.''
 On December 12, 1908, a bill was taken up in the House providing for the compulsory investigation of labor opposition to this bill, largely because it was feared that it would be a step towards compulsory arbitration. Townsend of Michigan, the author of the bill, moved to go into committee of the whole for the purpose of con sidering it on the above date; the mo- 112 nays, answering present" and 16S not voting. On this subtle pro- position to cripple the power of labor Henry, Higgins and Sperry are rec orded as voting taye," and Hill is recorded as mot voting."
 On the main legislative proposi- l tons III Wn1cn the AnGr1can WOTkSrS have been and are interested, namely, l the Anti-Injunction Bill; amendm ent 1 to the Sherman Antitrust Act; the i extension of the eight-hour law to | cover contractors and sub-contract- | ors doing work for the United States | Government, and the Convict Labor Bi1l-it is not possible to give the | record vote of the Connecticut dele | gation. These measures have not | been reported by the Judiciary Com mittee the Committee on Labor, | which Committees have these bills | under consideration. But the Con | their share of responsibility because | of this lack of opportunity to be | recorded.
 They have no plausible explanation | been enacted. They were constant | supporters of the Speaker (Cannon) | and the arbitrary rules which he so | arbitrarily interpreted and which was | the House that proposed legislation l in the interest of justice and human 1ty which was pending before other | committees should be smothered. An rules was to avoid record vote be- | ing taken upon such measures by l preventing the House from having | the opportunity to pass upon such | meritorious legislation.
 The Connecticut delegation held as- signments on the most important l House committees: Henry on Mer- chant Marine and Fisheries, in which | remedial legislation in behalf of sea- men and he did his utmost to foster | schemes to benefit commercial inter ests.
 Higgins is on the committee on Ju- dietary. He successfully throttled | proposed remedial anti-injunction leg islation, and proposals to amend the l