The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-10
He Characterizes Them as Political Towards" on
 Pension Question
SETTLE FIGHT IN
 STEEL COMMITTEE
In Executive Session Committee Unanimously Decides to Continue Investigation-Roc
 Not Be Subpoenaed

Washington. December 9.-Character- | izng his associates in Congress as political towards" on the subect of | pension Legislation and declaring that the Sherwood pension bill is q S50000,- f000 campaign contribution. Representa- tive Martin Dies, a Texas democrat. swung the pension debate in the House of Representatives out of it's routine channels for a half hour this afternoon. MT Dies declared that members were not voting their convictions on the pension subject, but were supporting an increase of pensions for fear of los- ing their seats "Flannel mouthed oratory on the tariff question:" said Mir Dies, will not save democrats from the charge of having increased the federal appropriations by passing the Sherwood pension bill.
 The democratic party abounds. in just as much cowardice on this ques- tion as does the republican party" said Mir Dies. some of my friends say that if we do not give the soldiers this money we will not be returned to Con- gress. There has been a rivalry be- tween the democratic and republican parties ever since the war as to who should give tho most to the soldiers. It has not been question of giving them what they wanted, but of seeing how much they would take
 Representative Dies said he appre- ciated the fact that "40O0 or 5000 pen sion holders afte 2 scared congress- man leaves no room for argument"
 What will it be when we have civil list?" he demanded.
 Fling at Underwood
 There are 1,O0O.0O0 employees of the stoned. .' The President has dapitul take it that our leader on thesssted. cratic side will capitulate as smo- as he. ANY Tt may be that to be hons
 these questions would beat us ,,pol presidency; it may be it woL fss,, tp some of our democratic seats l " aa, I I have about come to the conAid that there are great many seats here on both sides of the chamber that ought to be vacant.
 T do not doubt the honesty and in- tegrity of this body, but I have lost my respect for it's courage. There are lots of you here who are unable to vote your honest opinions for fear or de- feat I think decapitation for good many cowardly statesmen here would do this republic good.'
 MT Dies said that although the son of a Confederate soldier, he wanted liberal and fair pensions for all northern sol diers who "held the states together and preserved the republic" Both parties had gone too far he said.
 "Presently we are going to have a good deal of flannel mouthed oratory on the tariff question: said MT. Dies Some of our vociferous leaders are going to talk about free wool and lower taxes and lower tariff. Do they not know that in voting for this bill to increase pensions from $20000, coo to S50,000000 that they will vote for higher tariffs?
 q have not much patience for our fel- lows who are going to talk about lower tariff after having voted for this bill.
 Transforming Everybody
 we stand face to face with pensions for policemen, pensions for teachers, pen sions for government clerks, pensions for everybody; and some time the old farmer will come marching with his rake on his shoulder and hayseed in his hair and say: I have fed you fellows for years and now I am broke down in health and 1 want pension How will you answer him?"
 MT Dies added that he was political coward" like the balance of you That he expected somebody to arise some time brave enough to risk his hide and stop some of this notorious legislaton.''
 "It may be President Taft" he added.
 "He may veto the Sherwood bill. If so. I say:
 strength to his arm"
 The House gave undivided attention 10 the beligerent Texan, but applauded his sentiments sparingly. With the exception of Representative Trbble of Georgia, all of the other dozen members who spoke on the pension question during the day advocated the service pay increases of the Sherwood bill or an age limit increase on the plan of the Sulloway bill passed by the House last spring. Representative Willis, republican of Ohio, declared no parallel could be drawn between civil war pensions and the proposed pension for government employees as the first was the reward of valor in the field of battle.
 Representative Taggart the newly elected republican member from Kansas, called attention to the hundreds of mill lions the United States is spending for the army and navy while making maud lin and sentimental treaties of amity with the nations of Europe Steel Committee Tranquil
 All differences of opinion between mem bers of the House committee of inquiry into the United States Steel corporation were settled today at special meeting of the committee. and il was decided unanimously to continue the investiga- ton in spite of the governments suit against the Steel corporation, not, how ever for the purpose of determining any questions involved in the suit. but to enable the committee to recommend legislation.
 Hearings will be resumed Monday. The meeting of the committee was har- monious, Representative Littleton, who raised the question of the propriety of proceeding to investigate matters covered in the government suit, agreeing with his democratic colleagues on the solution of the problem, Chairman Stanley and Representatives Beaile, McGillicuddy.
 Bartlett and Littleton were joined in the decision by the republican members, Gardner, Sterling and Danforth. 'The objection made by the counsel for the Steel corporation" the communities announced in a statement after the ex- ecutlve session. Ito the further contin- uance of the nvestisation, was based upon the ground that the government had filed bill in the courts of New Jersey against the United States Steel corpora- -----~-~~--~--~-~-------7a-