Evening star., 1924-04-23
INSURANCE MEASURE
ORDERED REPORTED
House District Committee to Pre-.
sent Fitzgerald Bill De-
spite Opposition.

The Fitzge raid workmen's COM
pensation bin. which proposes to set
up an exclusive compulsory industrial
insurance under a government fund.
and administered by an existing gov
erning agency. which legislation was
the dam behind which many impor-
tant District measures were held back
in the last Congress, was ordered
favorably reported to the House from
the District committee today by a
vote of to 4.
There was vigorous opposition from
six members Of the committee, who
wanted a full committee considera-
ton of the measure with an oppor-
tunity to offer amendments before
this measure was railroaded into the
House. 1t was made plain that the
controversy is over whether the in
dustrial insurance organization in the
District should be an exclusive state
fund or whether the business should
be thrown open to competition.
In Fnvor OF Measure.
Those who voted in favor of re-
porting the bill were: Representatives.
I.ampert, Wisconsin; Keller, Mime
sofa; Fitzgerald, Ohio; Gibson, Yer
mont; Rathbone, Illinois; Sullivan,
New York; Hammer, North Carolina;
OBrien, New Jersey, and Gasque.
South Carolina Those who voted
against reporting the bill were: Rep
resentative Charles l. underhili.
Massachusetts,, author of the rival
measure providing for competitive
industrial insurance. and Repre- esenta-
tives Blanton, Texas; Gilbert, Ken
tucky, and Kunz. Illinois.
Representatives Gibson and GaSque
made their positions plain that they
favored an opportunity to study the
bill and offer amendments, but that
they did not care to appear In the
position of preventing the earliest
possible consideration OF the measure.
Representative Fitzgerald was in
structed to write the favorable re-
port Representative Thomas l.. ban
ton, Democrat, of Texas, gave notice
Of his intentionsto file minority re-
port, and also made the point OF oroeI
oy demanding that the bill should
De read before it was reported.
The subcommittee report on the
Fitzgerald bill was signed by KEEP
sentaL;ves Keller of Minnesota, hunz
of Illinois and Fitzgerald OF ONO. ~
was explained during debate that the
subcommittee had been divided IN
making its report, two being in favor
two against, and one, Representative
Kunz, compromising by allowing
the report to be made, while at the
same time reserving the right to
offer an amendment allowing com
petitive business in handling the IN
dustrial insurance.
Asks Special Day.
Representative Kunz asked that
special day be set aside for considera-
ton of the bill by the full committee,
but this was voted down, Z to 6.
Representatives Kunz, Underhill,
Gibson, Blanton, Gasque and Gilbert
all argued that while the bill was
important members of the committee
should be given an opportunity as
we'll as the subcommittee to con-
slider it carefully and to entertain
amendments before 1t was reported.
Question for Floor.
Representative Lampert of Wiscon-
sin said it was immaterial what ac-
ton the District committee took be-
cause the question would have to be
threshed out on the floor of the
House any way.
During discussion Representative
Underhili paid his respects to an
''ambidextrous" group in the House
and to the actions of several mem
bers of that group on the District
committee attempting steam roller
tactics"
Representative Keller Of Mime
sofa vigorously replied to make clear,
he said, the attitude of the progress
sive Republican group. Representa-
tive Lampert, the other progressive
group member on the District COM
mittee, made a statement replying to
a comment including the word "bol-
shoevistic" in which he reviewed the
patriotic services of himself and his
five sons, all of whom served in the
world war.
Lawyers on the House District
CONTINUED on Page 4. Column %