The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-07
Appears Before Investiga-
tors on Both Sides of
Capitol
OVER TWO HUNDRED
LETTERS EXAMINED
Witness Tells How Manufacturers
'sProdded' Members of Congress
to Support Legislation Fa-
yored by Them

Washington, August Slow the Ma
tional Association of Manufacturers
"prodded' members of Congress to sup
port legislation the association favored
and oppose those who threatened its IN
terests was explained to the House lobby
committee today by James A. Emery,
general counsel for the association. En1-
cry was the principal witness OF the day
before the lobby investigators on both
sides of the capitol He began pre-
iminary statement to the Senate CONF
mittee of the objects and aims of the
association and on the House side he
concluded the identification of the 200 let
ters culled from the organzations files
by the committee.
Discussing the political activities OF the
association. Emery said that the body it.
self did not engineer congressional cam
paigns, The association kept track OF
the records of congressman, he added,
and when the time for their reelection
came notified its members in the fndi-
vidual districts and the campaign work
was done by the local members
frodded from st. Louis
letter written by Emery to Il. c.
Schwedtman, secretary of the president
of the National Association Of Manu-
faeturers in 1910, commented on the fact
that Congressman Bartholdt was very
effectually prodded from ST Louis. in
connection with a vote on a proposition
to exempt labor unions from prosecution
under the Sherman law. Members OF
the committee conducted rather lengthy
examination to determine Just what the
method of ''prodding was employed by
the association. The witness explained
that letters and kilograms were started
from the constituents of the congress-
man sought to be influenced by COM
municating with the members of the as
ISOLATION in the eongressmans district
AS an instance of this sort of activity,
there was introduced telegram sent by
i EMERY during the lgAt against this SANS
labor union proposition in 1916 to A..
" Williams of the Minnesota Employ-
ers association in ST. Paul. which urged
him to please get as vigorous pro-
test by wire as possible to Congressman
Davis, Nelson, Steenerson, Miller of your
state. All are supporting Hughes amend-
ment preventing enforcement of the Sher-
man law against labor organizations
Various Activities
Activities in relation to the Hughes
amendment the investigation of tho Tav-
lor shop management system by the
! House labor committee, the bin to allow
the formation of unions among govern
ment employees and various other legisla :
tive propositions. as well as the interest
of the association in the presidential plat
| forms in ioft
presented today f. c. Schwedtman, for
| mer Representative John W. Weeks. now
| senator from Massachusetts; Henry r.
Towne of New York manufacturing
firm, and others, figured In the docu-
ments. One of the letters disclosed what
Representative Willis characterized as
everlasting and eternal war between
the National Association of Manufac-
turers and the National Civic Federa-
ton, In a letter dated January q, 1870
Mr.. Schwedtman wrote to John Kirby.
president of the National Association of
Manufacturers:
MAY the continuation of your campaign
| bring about the thing which is most de-
sired at the present time in our economic
situation-that is, the downfall of the civic
| federation"
| The House committee excused Emery
for the present and he will continue his
| testimony on the Senate side tomorrow
| Tomorrow afternoon the House commits
! tee will examine James Y Ewell. a for
mer employe of the National Association
of Manufacturers