Evening star., 1924-02-21
CLASH At HEARING
ON WORKERS BILLS
underhilI and Fitzgerald
Sponsor Rival Measures
Before Committee.


Washington Insurance Club who
crowded the House District commit
tee room today on invitation of Rep
resentative Charles l.. Cnderhill of
Massachusetts at the hearing on COM
pulsory wcrkmen's compensation leg
isIation were treated to a lively ses-
sion during which they repeatedly
cheered Representative Underhill in
bis sallies against Representative
Roy G. Fitzgerald Of Ohio.
Representative Underhiil has been
sitting back quietly and asking but
Few questions, while Representative
Fitzgerald. in charge Of the hearings,
has been putting into the record
statements favorable to the Fitzger-
AID bin ard antagonistic to the Un-
Both of these measures favor COM
puisory workmen's compensation in
the District of Columbia, the split
aid bill would establish govern
ment monopoly and administration
through a governmental agency,
while the Underhill bill declares for
open competition, with the business
or insurance preferably in private
concerns.
Representative Underhill declared
that 1t is easier for employers to in
sure their workmen under law
which allows the business to be car
RED by private concerns. II there
are evils in the private insurance
companies and If they attempt fraud
this could promptly be eradicated
through steps taken by Congress.
Representative Cnderhill argued.
Reads Nevxuaner Artfcye
Then he started the fireworks by
reading an article in q Dayton news
paper. which, he declared, was in
spired by Representative Fitzgerald,
regarding a fire in a Russian cafe in
New York, at which Representative
Underhill was the guest of F.. Rob-
ertson Jones. who represents private
insurance companies in their fight
against the Fitzgerald legislation.
Il do not know whether it is the
decency of Mr.. Fitzgerald which
caused that article or caused him to
stoop to this kind of tactics" said
Re preventative Underhill.
He explained that he was in New
York with his son-ip-law and daugh-
ter. whom he had met for the first
time since their marriage, and that
Mr.. Jones was returning courtesies
which Representative Cnderhill had
extended to him when they were stop
ping at the same hotel in Washing
ton.
This is an illustration of the per-
fdy Of action of Mr.. Fitzgerald, who
gave me documents and seeds to help
in my campaign for reelection, and
now he turns to the dirty. contempt
ible action of the muck-raker and at
tempts TO asSassinate my character"
Representative Ralph Gilbert, DEM
ocrat, of Kentucky. another member
or the investigating committee, who
formerly was Judge. acted peace
maker by threatening that he would
not attend any more meetings in the
members were to indulge in a contest
OF personalities. He declared both
Fitzgerald and Tn
to be good fellows and des-
allow their feelings to run away with
them.
Interest OF Employer,
Representative Underhill empha-
sized as illustrating the fact that
employers will take care of their
men even though they are not COM
PEELED by Law to do so, that today
there is not the arbitrary heartless
feeling that used to be. Employers are
their employees. Representative Tn
derhill told stories from his own ex-
perience as poor boy striving to
make his way in the world.
human machinery go to waste or re-
place it has gone" he said. He COM
mended the very effective work that
the United States government is car
rytng on for its employees in the Dis
trict of Columbia. but all federal bu-
reaus are surrounded by red tape, he
said, and there is even now a con-
troversy over help compensation as
to whether the government has auth
ority to pay it,. He said that this
IL ~ h. nf
a law as Representative Fitzgerald
proposes.
Representative Gilbert then aues-
toned Mr.. Underhill. Your whole
opposition is that you consider the
Fitzgerald bill would set an unwise
precedent"
Representative Underhill replied
that he never would have objected
to the Fitzgerald bill il Mr.. Fitzgerald
had adopted the policy that operates
in many states of giving private con-
Germs legitimate opportunity for
free and fair competition.
Favora Principle Involved.
Mr.. Underhill said that any de-
partment Of the government could
be operated cheaper by private con-
Germ, not excepting even the Post
ONCE Department. and incidentally
efficiency and time wasting.
F.. Robertson Jones was to have
been heard in opposition to the
Fitzgerald bill, but II. r. Janisch,
the Mutual Insurance
wished to address the COM
mittee so that he could keep i'm
portant engagements elsewhere. He
said that the Fitzgerald bill legal
ICES discrimination against world
war veterans, which is a contempt
ible thing" He declared that the
Mutual stands in opposition to the
bill for this reason.
The hearings will be resumed Mon
day morning at 10 o'clock.