The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-05
WERE NO IMPROPER NFLUENCES USED Committee Refutes Ship
 Subsidy Lobby CHARGES ARE FALSE Honesty and Integrity of HalyOr Steenerson and Other Members
 of House Upheld By the
 Committee

So says the special committee of the House of Representatives in it's investi-
 gation for which 1t was appointed a year
 ago. The report was presented to the House today by Chairman J. Van vech- ten Ocott of New York. Charges made in this connection that reflect upon mem bers of Congress are, the report declares, wholly false." The committee feels it tits duty to in- form the House that there have been sent widespread throughout the country statements that Hobbies and corruption on part of members of Congress existed in favor of ship subsidy or against ship subsidy and that the parties who made the accusation, after being thoroughly questioned, have admitted that they had
 no information upon which to base such
 statements or publications, but relied upon surmises, suspicion and rumor'' These are the formal conclusions of the
 committee: eF Aa
 "As to the charges against members of Congress, the committee finds that
 the charges contained in the statements set forth in the preamble to the resolu- ton under wrich this committee was ap- pointed, so far as the same reflect upon the honesty and integrity of Hon. Halvor Steenerson, or any other member of the House in their official capacity, or of | the membership generally, are wholly
 false
 AS to the alleged existence or mainten-
 ance of lobby, the committee also finds that there does exist lobby or lobbies in connection with the subject of ship
 subsidy legislation and that there Is no
 fund for the support of such lobbies." The committee consisted of Chairman Olcott and Messrs. Longworth of Ohio, | IIawley of Oregon, Garrett of Tennessee | and Humphreys of Mississippi.
 | The investigation was the outgrowth of | statements in the magazine published at Cleveland by the Merchant Marine league of the United States and in various other publications In various parts of the coun- try alleging the existence of a lobby supported by certain shipping interests, especially those of European countries | active in opposition to the ship subsidy
  eress were mentioned by name in some of these publications as being unduly in- fuenced in this connection.
 l Both Representatives Steenerson of Minnesota and Kusterman of Wisconsin | took notice of the charges and were rep resented by counsel Both are absolutely i exonorated by the committee V-l, thaf 1n reople actively interested in the Merchant Marine league had any personal financial interest in the league. John A. Penton and the executive committee assuming full responsibility for it's publications. Articles especially virulent in their at tack, published by the then editor of the leagues organ. John M Maxwell, now of Indianapolis, were investigated and Mir Maxwell refused to give certain
 authority for his statements
 Charges in newspaper published at Dallas, Tex, and similar attacks. by certain other newspapers are declared to have been Apparently without foundation"
 After analysing all the testimony the committee was unable to find that any Hobby had ever existed or was ever | maintained either for or against ship l subsidy legislation"
 Certain testimony was allowed in the record relating to alleged steamship
 combinations or pools to control or fix freight or passenger rates Upon theory
 that such evidence might possibly throw some light upon the subject matter of the investigation and the committee submits this testimony to the House l with view to its being used to ad- 1 vantage at some future time.
 l With regard to the trade between
 the United States and South America,
 says the committee, there is con-
 ference of steamship lines. commonly
 called the associated lines which con-
 ference, it is alleged, maintains an agreement relative to the fixing Of freight rates and steamships to and
 from South America. The report adds Another conference of steamship lines running between the United States and China known as the New York China conference also maintains an agree | ment relative to French traffic and rates.
 | Testimony was also taken on the | question of ocean mail legislation and while not germane t0~fhe industry, it l Is of importance to future reference. Certain other information relative to navigation laws of the United States and foreign country coastwise trades, | trade between the United States and | South America, price and exports of coffee from South America and ocean | mail service between the United States and Europe and United States and South America was obtained from sev- eral witnesses who were. examined. The report includes this paragraph 'Some. stress has laid on certain tes- | timony in regard to the employment os
 Jerome J. Wilber by the Hamburg | American Packet company and the North German Lloyd Steamship com pany The nature of his employment os shown by the testimony was to keep the companys advised concerning 1 proposed Legislation of every char
 acter which might affect their busi-
 ness interests and to supply them also 1 with information from various depart
 ments upon request.
 MT. Wilber, while rendering such ser
 vices to those, companies, was also a
 member of the staff of the Associated
 Press in Washington. There was nu | cuid dnn prlao ftxaf hor ho1 fr,