Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-22
HOUSE MEMBER
FLAYS REDF|ELD
Mr.. Humphrey Attacks His
Statement Regarding In
dustriaI Conditions.
EFFECT OF NEW TARIFF
ON BUSINESS INTERESTS

Hot Debate in Which "Soup Houses
and Bread Lines" Figure
Prominently.
| Of Commerce had his reputation as an
| investigator OF industrial conditions
hayed and knocked about generally in
| the House of Representatives yesterday
afternoon by republicans. principally
Representative Humphrey Of Washing
ton. so that Democratic Leader Under
wood had to rush to the defense Of his
one-time colleague.
Mr.. Humphrey. sticking to his claim
that the democratic tariff has put the
big single industry In his state out Of
business. declared that Secretary Red
field had sent couple Of two-by-four
cheap detectives" to do the investigat-
ing. and that after they had made a re-
port the Secretary had sent conclusions
to the House which are absolutely at
variance with the findings. Secretary
Redfield recently reported on the single
industry in the state Of Washington.
All this occurred in ono Of the liveliest
hours that even the House, where things
can go topsy-turvy at q moments notice,
has seldom experienced. It was q record
rumpus.
The explosion came while members In
committee Of the whole house were talk
ing about paragraph in the urgent
deficiency appropriation bill providing
an extra $4,000 for the industrial rela-
fco{A ~ oh anti
took to find out why there Is 80 much
talk about Industrial unrest and men
out Of work. Men out Of work" starts
the republicans going like bulls at red
rags, just as a mention OF states rights
arouses the solid southern delegation to
frenzy.
Mann Reads Letters.
Representative Mann told his political
opponents with considerable fervor that
the democrats ignored the bread lines,
and he read from letters which state that
Buffalo charity organizations report
their halls full Of hungry. DISCOURAGED
men and women looking for work" The
United Charities organization of Chi
cago, he said. SHOW an almost unprec-
edented depression in business circles" "
Representative Mann also read the re-
cent bulletin Of the industrial relations
committee, which has been published.
and which could easily be taken to show
real hard times everywhere.
This annoyed Representative Garner,
the democrat who has been "kidded'
for having procured protection for the
hair Of the goats Of Texas while every
thing else like 1t went on the free list.
Mr.. Garner wanted to know II the tndus-
trial relations committee II doing any
terial for the republicans.
Representative Humphrey chimed In
with a report Of hundreds OF idle men
demanding work in St. Louis; Represent
alive Mann contributed the information
that recently idle men in Indiana fought
like tigers for the right to get jobs on Ice
cutting. Representative Humphrey cited
10000 idle men in Boston. and said the
general steel and iron industry Of the
country had been cut in half. all because
Of democratic tariff reductions After
listening to the array of soup houses for
ten minutes Representative Barnhare,
democrat of Indiana, ventured the asser-
ton that the soup houses and charitable
organizations were faxed UP by the re-
publicans to give the country the dismal
semblance Of calamity stricken nation.
Underwood Participates.
All this was at top speed. until the at
mosphere cleared a moment for Repre-
sentative Underwood to make a few re-
marks He said that one reason for a
large number of idle men is because the
steamship companies are bringing In I'M
migrants at IS apiece because Of steam
ship rate war.
And then the House fell into one Of the
biggest muddles it has ever encountered.
1t was because Mr.. Underwood wanted
to have read the reply Of Secretary Red
field to the Humphrey charges that the
state Of Washington was suffering be-
cause Of democratic tariff and that 1914
shingle mills had closed because Of the
Canadian competition at unfair rates.
From Ave to ten members were talking
at once. all the time. the republicans try
ing to keep the letter from being read.
at is an unfair thing to do said Mr..
Underwood. referring to the effort to ex-
clude the letter.
Didn't the gentleman from Alabama
refuse to yield to me once when he was
talking about the iron and steel indus
try when I wanted to ask whether he
knew Of three steel mills in his own city
Of Birmingham that had closed?" retort-
ed Representative Humphrey, who re-
which had been made to Secretary Red
field by the cheap two-by-four de-
tectives." and that If it were read into
the Record it would absolutely disprove
everything Secretary Redfeld had writ
ten to the effect that the single mills of
Washington have closed for perfectly
natural reasons. and that the tariff has
| nothing to do with it.
Underwood Jumps to Defense.
Finally the Redfeld letter was read.
and Representative Humphrey told the
House that II the members could but read
the stuff the aforementioned ''two-by-
| fours'' had written they would be
ashamed of the Redfield letter. Up jump
ed Representative Underwood.
1T will not allow to 60 unassailed that
the Secretary Of Commerce has falsified
himself"
"The gentleman from Alabama does not
know what he is talking about" returned
Mr.. Humphrey. II make the statement
! now that the evidence contradicts every
material statement In that letter
| well, put 1t in the Record" roared
Representative Fitzgerald Of New York
Mr.. Humphrey wouldn't do it and Rep
resentative Underwood undertook to tele-
phone to the Department Of Commerce
for the evidence, promising to see to it
| that it is printed.
| Earlier in the debate Representative
Humphrey. who is getting to be the rec
ord calamity artist Of the House. dipped
his brush into the pot OF somber tint
| that he carries with him and paid further
respects to the Secretary of Commerce