The Washington herald., 1912-02-29
HOUSE WILL HEAR
TEXTILE STRIKERS
Men, Women, and Children from
Lawrence to Testify Before Rules
Committee on Saturday.

To convince the House that the soldiers
and police of Lawrence have been guilty
OF wanton brutality and have violated
mot only all laws Of humanity, but
the principles OF American government"
Representative Victor Berger. OF wiscon-
sin, will have twenty of the textile strik-
ers-men. women. and children-to tes-
tify at the hearing OF the Committee on
Rules next Saturday.
Word has already been sent TO the
strike officials at Lawrence to have work.
men, who were manhandled by the po-
lice, before the House committee. They
will be instructed to tell just what was
done to them, what defense was made,
and what reasons were given for the
detention of children who were to be
sent from the scene of the strike.
Representative Berger explained yes
terday that he did not know who the wit
nesses would be. He had received word,
in time to appear before the rules COM
mittee. He is confident that their tes-
timony win be of a nature that will
force Congress to begin a special in
vestigation OF the whole AFFAIR at once.
1T makes no difference said Mr.. Ber-
ger, what committee or subcommittee is
chosen to go to Lawrence and inves-
tigate this case. What i desire is that
any representative body OF Congressman
go to Lawrence, substantiate the stories
that they will hear from the mouths
of these witnesses and determine for
themselves what punishment should be
meted out to the soldiery and police of
that town"
Among the witnesses, il is said, will
be women who were present during the
fight at the depot when soldiers and po-
lice are alleged to have beaten women
and children merciIessIy before dragging
them to jail and a trial in the night
court.
Bureau of Labor TO Probe.
DIR. Charles p. Nein, Commissioner OF
the Bureau of Labor. left Washington
late yesterday for Lawrence, Mass,
where he will personally conduct an in
vestigation into the labor conditions at
the textile mills there and report to the
Secretary of Commerce ami Labor as
to the exact situation .smong the
strikers.
With him went two experts from the
Bureau of Labor. The three governmr Mt
officials will be assisted at Lawrence by
the State authorities. The Investigation
is not authorized By any special resolG-
tion Of Congress, although Senator Poin-
dexter's resolution. sidetracked Tuesday.
directed the Secretary OF Commercs ard
Labor to make such an investigation.
The Bureau of Labor, however, is operat-
ing independently.
1t is reported at the Department of
Justice that that department viii insti-
tute criminal proceedings against the
corporation of Law ence and the State
militia, yho. il is alleged, are "a con-
sp.-acy in restraint OF interstate passen-
ger traffic"
new aspect OF the Lawrence situa-
ton was presented when Representative
Victor Berger. the Socialist member Of
the House, made public letters which
indicate that Lawrence is a recruiting
station for the white slave traffic. Mr..
Berger has been collecting data relative
TO this revelation which shows that the
mill owners and the men in charge Of
numbers Of women and girl employees
take advantage of innocence and pow
erty." Labor organizations are furnish
ing Mr. Berger with this data.