The Sentinel=record., 1912-03-03
HEARING IS
 TUMULTUOUS
SOCIALIST REPRESENTATIVE AND MEMBER OF STRIKE COMMIT.
 TEE IN QUARREL.
First Day of Lawrence Strike Inquiry Develops Some interesting Fea- tures--Witness Held
 Over Sunday.

Washington, March 2.--At the con clusion for the day of an unusual hearing before the house rules com mittee on bills proposing an inyesu- gation Of conditions relating to the strike of textile workers at Law renee. Mass. Representative Victor Berger of Wisconsin and Robert Me Cartney of the Citizens committee Eof Lawrence, almost came to blows and were separated by Representa- tive Wilson of Illinois.
 The rules committee had adjourn ed the hearing to be resumed on Mon day, necessitating the stay in Wash 1 ingtcn of women and children from the Lawrence woolen mills who had been sent here to testify concerning strike conditions.
 Who is going to pay the expenses of these people?' asked Representa- ! tive Berger, the socialist member of the house, as the committee was about to adjourn.
 Representative Henry, chairman of the committee, declared nothing could be done by the committee n advance of an investigation on such matter, whereupon Representative Wilson of Pennsylvania suggested that a collec- ton be taken to defray the expenses. Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, was the first to contribute, and Repre- sentative Berger held the hat Sev- eral Lawrence young women collect led the contributions which came from men and women in the committee room. When Lewis s. Cox. the post master of Lawrence, contributed a dollar, Representative Berger pro. | tested.
 Give him back his money" said Berger to Miss Josephine Liss, who had collected it. We don't want any blood money"
 Mccartney, who was standing near by, immediately protested against Berger's insinuation and for several minutes the committee room was in confusion.
 "Who are you?" demanded McCart- ney of Berger.
 q represent the people of Wiscon- sin." Berger hotly replied. and don't propose to have these people receive any blood money"
 T probably have as much money as you have" McCareney replied, and it is not blood money" The Massachusetts man was shak- 1 ing his fist in Representative Ser gers face and the socialist congress man was emphatic in his language demanding that Miss Liss give back the dollar. As she gave back the money, Representative Wilson of Hi nois, a member of the rules commit tee, intervened between Berger and Mccartney who were almost on the verge of combat. His interference n the squabble ended the controversy and Mccartney and Cox left the room.
 This was the climax to an excit- ing session of the committee in which the Lawrence strike conditions were revealed from several rival sources.
 In room crowded with spectators. Samuel Lipson, a member of the Law renee strike committee, was on the witness stand, and Representative 1 Pou of North Carolina sought to ger him to describe the scene at the sta ton when the police and the militia prevented children from being sent away from the strike city. Lipson told of the police grabbing the chil- dren and throwing them into patrol wagons, and of shouting and clubbing the mothers of the children. 1 Did you really see the mothers cIubbed," Pou asked.
 No" the witness replied, "but I saw them showed around" Lipson referred to the killing of John Ramey, who was bayonetted by the militia as he stood inoffensively the witness said, in frcat of his home. He said Ramey was not striker, and that it was know he was not even a sympathizer
 And the police started the trou- ble," he said. "We were not strik- ing agaFst the police or the militia.