Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-07-17
To PROBE.
OLD LABOR WARS
Biggest Lobby Inquiry Ever At
tempted Is Near.
MULHALL TAKES THE STAND
Secrets of Great Strikes That Para
Iyzed Nations Industries Expected
to Be UnfoIded-Gunmen
Threaten Witnesses.

Washington, July 12.-Congress has
decided to investigate all the wars"
that have been fought between labor
and capital, all the efforts that each
has made to obtain legislation which
would profit it and the tangled skein
woven about their relations in the last
ten years.
The senate lobby committee in ex-
ecutive session Thursday night de-
cided that the wars" must be
inquired into. Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, will appear before
the committee on July %, and a sub
poena was issued Thursday night for
John Mitchell, vice-president of the
federation and former head of the Uni
ted Mine Workers. At the same time
the committee subpoenaed George
Pope and J. P. Bird, general manager
of the National Association of Manu-
facturers.
AS the tale is unfolded other men
prominent in either labor Organiza-
tons or associations of manufacturers
or individual employers of labor who
are brought to notice will be asked to
appear. The committee decided to
look into this subject, believing that it
may develop startling information and
knowing it will extend their inquiry
many weeks.
One senator said that the quest
might reach back into some of the
dark corners CT the Mcnamara dyna-
hitting cases and bring into the light
the inside story of many of the great
strikes that have paralyzed Industries
and thrown thousands out of work in
the last few years. He intimated that
it might develop by far the most mar
velous OF all the strange tales that the
committee has heard in the past six
weeks.
Coincident with the decision for a
sweeping inquiry Chairman Overman
of the lobby investigating committee
heard a report that Martin NJ. Mulhall,
chief lobbyist for the National Associ-
alton of Manufacturers, had been told
to get out of Washington
Colonel Mulhall, for ten years the
uclu dSGHl. IObDg iot anu 81 1hCDA CfihAC1
whose undertakings have been set
forth in the newspapers, made
his appearance Friday to begin
a repetition of his remarkable nara
tive, backed up by many thousands of
letters, kilograms and reports.
The decision to put the colonel on
the stand at once was inspired by two
man and his colleagues with the neces-
sity of beginning the investigation
without delay. One of these was the
business-like methods adopted by the
Garrett committee of the house to be-
gin a far-reaching inquiry to determine
the influences that have shaped legis-
lation in the past. rewarded friends"
and punished enemies" in congress
sional and official circles.
The other incident was the attempt
to intimidate Colonel Mulhan and
some of the other witnesses who have
been subpoenaed by the government
to give testimony at the hearing in the
MulhaI charges. Some of these wit
nesses have been Swallowed constantly
during the last week by men who
would be recognized in select gun cir
Giles in New York and Chicago.
Washington, July I0.-The house
has voted unanimously to direct a
special committee of seven members
to investigate the Mulhall lobby
confession" and all other details of
legislative activities that may be dis
closed
Representative Finis J. Garrett Of
Tennessee was appointed chairman of
the committee by Speaker Clark.
The other members named on the
Garrett committee are Representa-
tives Cyrus Cline Of Indiana, J. ]. Rus
sell of Missouri and S. J. Roddenber-
ry of Georgia, Democrats; w. H. Stat
ford of Wisconsin and Frank B. Willis
of Ohio. Republicans, and John l. No
Ian of California. Progressive.