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trust, wages and shoe trust working
conditions.
The shoe trust also is believed to
be backof the two attorneys, Fitz
gerald and Mortimer, who volunteer
ed their services to "any girl who
might feel insulted by the course of
the commission."
The' offer of Fitzgerald and Mor
tinjer was made in the "columns ..of
the Springfield News; the newspaper
Which has been leading the news
paper trust's fight.
Fitzgerald and Mortimer went to
the meeting last night, and interrupt
ed every proceeding for fully an hour.
They demanded to be heard. The
commission told them that if they
were willing to be sworn and take the
stand, they would be heard, but .not
otherwise.
Fitzgerald and Mortimer flatly re
fused to -.take the stand, and the com
mission refused to recognize them.
Every time Fitzgerald and Morti
mer'internipted the commission, the
hired claque of Big Business cheered
and stamped.
Lieut. Gov. O'Hara finally called
the police. Fitzgerald' and Mortimer
were handed 'their hats and shown
the door. They went.
The brewery's attempt to get the"
commission is to be made under our
old friend Injunction.
The brewery will try to get a writ
of 'injunction against the commission
on the ground that the" lieutenant
governor has no right to sit on ,a
legislative committee.
The attack of the newspapers is
more insidious.
viThe newspapers are attacking the
commission, first under the cry raised
by the Chisago trust newspapers that
the commission is reflecting on the
good name of all working girls by its
probe .into wage conditions.
But the more harmful attack-of
the newspapers is being made
through plain and fancy lying and
suppression of the truth.
' For instance, the Springfield News
carefully selected! thtwo highest
paid women employes of the shoe
trus.t, interviewed them, had them
brand the underpaid girls who tes
tified before the commission as loaf
ers, and liars, and tell all about-the
high wages they themselves were
getting and how nice their foremen
were to them
The chief concern of the shoe trust
is the effect that the O'Hara commis
sion's probe may have in Washing
ton. '
The shoe trust maintains one of
the most, expensive and powerful lob
bies in the national capital.
Also, that lobby is working night
and day right now against any reduc
tion in the tariff that would affect
the shoe trust
Lieut. Gov. O'Hara "has put all the
facts, uncovered by his probe into the
Springfield factories of the trust in
the hands of President Wilson.
He also has forwarded these facts
to Congressman Robert Hill, of Mar
ion, HI., with a suggestion that Hill
place them before the House and re
quest that the shoe trust lobby be
barred forever from the floor of the
bfouse.' i
Both President Wilson and Con
gressman Hill are showing keen in
terest in the O'Hara commission's re
velations, and the $25,000,000 shoe
trust is feeling far from comfortable.
Madison, Vyis., April 30, An in
vestigation of the connection be
tween low wages paid by millionaire
concerns, similar to that now being
conducted by the O'Hara commission
in Illinois, is provided for in a bill
now before the Senate.
The bill was introduced by Senator
Tinsley. In presenting it Tinsley ask
ed for a thorough investigation of
conditions surrounding working girls,
especially those compelled to work
nights, and asserted that the social
evil had gained stronger foothold in'
the smaller towns than in the larger
cities.- -r--
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