The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-03-10
TESTIMONY HITS
AT CONGRESSMAN
Witness Says Manahan Resolu-
ton Was Due to FactionaI
Fight Between Brokers.
PLEA FOR WHITE SEA POWER
President international Seamen's
Union Tells House Body That Ash
attic Sailors Are Taking Places
of White Americans.

Washington, March 9.--Denial that
the Minnesota legislature is controlled
by the Great Northern railroad and
the Hill interests was made by David
F. Simpson of the Minneapolis wheat
pitI before the house rules committee
in opposition to the Manahan resolu-
ton calling for investigation of wheat
pit management.
Witnesses for the resolution had
ascribed to the Hill influence the fail
ure to secure a satisfactory probe un-
der state auspices in Minnesota.
Simpson asserted that the brokers in
Minneapolis, Duluth and Chicago
would welcome an investigation and
said that they would agree to federal
Standardization in the grading or
grain. He claimed that future trad
ing, which was the chief point at
tackled by Manahan, allowed the ham
ding of grain at very small pront
and that the farmer did not suffer in
the process.
Testimony Hits at Manahan.
Simpsons testimony went to show
that the Manahan resolution was due
to a factional fight between brokers
and the Equity Cooperative exchange
in the northwest. He said that an in
quiry in Minnesota had shown that
Manahan was an officer Of the Equity
exchange.
Manahan fatty denied that the use
of his name as counsel for this or
ganization had been authorized. He
said that he had been previously con-
nected with a grain company. Letters
bearing a signature which purported
to be that of Manahan and showing
his connection with grain dealing were
repudiated by him.
Plea for "White Sea Power"
Making what he declared was his
last plea for a white sea power
through the enactment of the sea-
mems bill for which he has been work
ing for the past twenty years, Andrew
Furuseth, president of the Interna-
tional Seamen's union, told the house
merchant marine committee that in
these two decades the white sailors
had decreased by one-half and the
Asiatic sailors had more than doubled
in number in the American trade. He
pointed to the operation of the Chi
nese exclusion law, which allows ship
owners to hold Chinese crews under
guard in American ports as one OF
the powerful factors working toward
this condition.
Would you let the Chinese come
ashore in American ports and would
you admit them to your union?'
asked Chairman Alexander.
81 would let them come ashore to
reship at better wages rather than
keep them aboard at the wages which
prevail in Chinese ports," replied Flu
ruseth.
Cost of Living Regulates Wage.
"The wage today is regulated by
the cost of living in the port where
he is hired. One ship may, after a
voyage, have men aboard working al
the wages of San Francisco, Kobe
Hong Kong, Calcutta and Sidney. AS
for admitting Asiatics to our union
we have always refused, on patriotic
principles, to admit men who could
not become American citizens. But Il
that be the only way of saving what
little there is left to us-if Legislation
which would build up white mer
chant marine is refused see no rea
son why we should not welcome into
the union the Chinese, the Lascars
and the Japanese, and it would gc
hard If they did not better the teach
ing we gave them. A Chinaman is &
man as good as l in the sight Of God
and in the testimony Of the ship owner
he is better. OF course, if he got the
same wages as the white man he
would not last long on the ship"