New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-15
HOUSE DEMOCRATS
PLAYING POLITICS
They Go After the Labor Vote
by Passing Another Eight
Hour Day Bill.
a s25.ooo,ooo PORK BARREL
Berger. Wisconsin Socialist, Lee
lures Them on Their Extrava-
gance and Insincerity-Un-
derwood's Warning

Washington. Dec. 14-While the ma
,orty members grinued sheepishly anu
The minority applauded the truth ana
courage OF the statement, Representative
Victor Berger. the Wisconsin Soclalis''
congratulated" the Democrats OF uie
Irouso to-day on the manner in winch
they have recently been playing pon'lcS'
AIR Berger smoke in favor Of the eight
hour bill providing that contractors LOT
government work shall not employ IA
borers and mechanics for moro thah
eight hours Cay.
II must congratulate the Democrats OF
The House" he said For the first uihe
I'm fifty years they are playing pohucs
successfully. Day before yesterday you
bid for the old soldier vote yesterday
Won hid for the Jew vote, and to-day
YOU are after the labor vote
Mr.. Berger did not know it, but as he
smoke the Committee on Public Build
incs and Grounds held a meeting in an
other part Of the Capitol and voted 10
carry out the scheme OF playing poll
lies" The committee by vote Of IA
10 3. determined to report public build
Yngs bill. commonly and appropriately
known as the pork barrel In taxing
this action the committee disregarded
the adtice of Representative Underwood
she majority leader who admonishcd the
members that because Of the S45,OOoooo
rcnsiou. bill the revenues would not
stand further inroads Of this eXtravagant
charactcr. The pork barrel II IS cst-
mated. viii carry about $25.ooo,ooo.
Representative Bcrger's good natured
lecture If the Democrats relieved day
of dcsultory debate on. the eight-hour
hill. The bill AS reported by the Com
mittee ON Labor was so confusinglY
drawn that the Socialist member sd-
nittcd hc could not understand IT,
Il am an old newspaper man. said
Mr.. Berger and I understand English
pretty wcn. despite my German accent
do not understand this bill, however
Congress has been passing eight-hour
laws since 1878, but II has never passed
- hill that would hold water / don
believe the lawyers OF this House can
interpret this bill. Why don't you get
hrickIaver go write the bill? Let him
draft bill about ten lines in length, and
then have some Of the newspaper men
Examine and approve it. Then We might
understand e."
Mr.. Berger facetiously declared that
speeches do not influence votes IN the
House these days. Therefore, he said
he would say little except TO congratu-
late the Democrats on their attempted
political sagacity. Il am the only man
in the House who is really open TO srgu-
ment." said the Socialist member, who
is party all by himself.
Referring again to the pending BILL
which afterward passed the House. Mr.
Berger said:
This bill il going 10 have hard sled
ding. 1t will pass this body and the
Senate. and tho President will be quick
To sisn e. But then II goes to The
courts. And she courts? We'll, ] don
know what to say about them. excep
that II We ever have a Socialist Su
preme court we won't need an eight
hour law"
The bill Vas introduced by Represent
ativc Hughes. OF New Jersey. Criticism
on the ground that 1t would compel The
establishment Of an eight-hour day IL
I'll factories making goods used by the
government resulted IN minor changes
20 make II more certain I'm its applica-
ton Az passed II would require the
oight-hour day i'm all contract labor OF
the character performed by the govern
raent itself. such as shipbuilding, CUR
md ammunition making, river and har'
hor work. and building construction.