The Washington times., 1913-07-09
SENATORS OPEN FIRE
ON WOOL LOBBYISTS
Whitman, Believed Dictator of
Textile Tariff for Years,
! Bares Trade Secrets.
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Sherley, and, in fact, every public man
whose name has been in any way con-
nected with the MulhaN statements.
Having wound up the Lamar-Lauter-
bach investigation, the committee to-
day cleared up a few struggling ends
of the sugar lobby inquiry, and then
tackled the wool lobby.
When it has probed into the activi-
ties of this important organization.
It will have the way cleared for the
Investigation of the Mulhan charges.
William whitman, of Brookline,
Mass, former president of the National
Association of Wool Manufacturers, be-
neved by many to be the arch dictator
Of textile tariffs in this country, a man
q great bushes capacity, who Tor
more than two decades has been vast
power In the textile world, was the first
witness called to the stand in the wool
ibbby probe.
Mr.. Whitman, who is a small man,
with a round face, keen eye, iron gray
hair. and a soft, low-toned voice, told
the committee at the outset he was
director or officer in textile mills with
a capital of from s15,00 900 to s2O,0Ooooo
All of these are in New England but
one. which is in South Carolina
Gives Details of Business.
After giving many details Of the busi-
ness of his mills, which are engaged,
one or another, in practically every
form of the textile manufacturing busi-
ness, wool and cotton, Mr.. whitman
discussed the state of the textile manu-
featuring market. He said market con-
ditions were worse than he had ever
known them. For this reason, many
of his mills were not running on full
time.
The examination Of Mr.. Whitman is
expected to cover wide field, and
reach over many phases of the wool
and textile lobbying activity, not only
at this session. but reaching back over
O long period Of years.
Baldwin Testifes.
A. D. Baldwin, of Cleveland, a lawyer.
Of Alexander & Baldwin, interested in
Hawaiian sugar. was first on the stand.
He has lobbied here against free sugar.
He admitted seeing various Senators
He got $50 a day while in Washington.
Mr.. Baldwin was followed by 1. A.
Smith, president of the Georgia branch
of the Farmers Union. Mr.. Smith was
asked abous a meeting at New orleans
last spring of a committee of the or
ganization called by r. D. Bawen, of
Texas, of the Texas State organization.
Mr.. Smith told the lobby committee that
he had attended such a meeting, but
had not been able to find out much as
to what Ii was about. 1t was brought
out that ne found out the meeting was
largely composed OF manufacturers, cot
ton and sugar men, who were eager to
talk tariff and take steps to prevent
tariff reductions. despite the fact that
1t was called to consider the greater
consumption Of cotton
Telegrams To Senators.
kilograms were sent to Senators urg-
ing them not to go into the caucus as
II was the opinion that if the tariff bill
went into effect it would seriously affect
the price of raw cotton. Smith alleged
he found out he had been deceived by
Mr.. Bowen and was mixed up with a
bad crowd"
Before he found out about it. however,
urging him to keep out of the Demo
cratic caucus.
The drift of Mr. Smiths testimony
was that Mr.. Bowen was engineering a
plan to bring pressure TO bear on Sen
ators not to reduce the sugar and cotton
duties.
Later he wrote Senators Bacon and
Smith. of Georgia, in which he in affect
told them to use their best Judgment in
protecting the farmers interest He
said he felt in his first message he had
'-overstepped the mark" because of Mr..
Bowen.
Mobley Next Witness
H. H. Moblev president of the State
Farmers Union. of Arkansas, who was
also at the New Orleans meeting at the
instance of A. d. Bowen. was the next
witness. His expenses were paid when
he attended the meeting. 1t was COM
posed Of farmers, so far as he saw ii,
ne said, though the meeting was prac-
tically over when he arrived.
Il got out of il an idea that there
was TO be some quick work on tariff,
which might affect the price of cotton,
said he.
He signed a telegram at the instance
of Mr.. Bowen to the Arkansas Senators
asking them to stay out of caucus until
cotton people could be heard. Subse-
Quently he had heard some members
of the union voice the suspicion tha,
the meeting was not what it purported
TO be.
AT all their meetings. Mr. Mobley
said. there were people around trying
TO fork the Farmers Union
On a test vote which threatened
again TO start a filibuster, the House
went on record this afternoon in
favor Of employing an attorney for
the House lobby investigating com
mittee. On motion of Minority Lead
er Mann. the House voted 81 to 6S To
reconsider the Levy amendment OF
Saturday which prohibited legal as
sistance for the lobby investigating
committee.
Mr.. Levy served notice that he would
make a point of no quorum rather thar
see the committee given the authority
10 hire a lawyer. but he agreed to with
hold his point while members again de-
bated the mooted question.
Mr.. Decker of Ohio delivered an i'm.
passioned speech. saying he was op'
posed to delegating TO any attorney The
task of investigating the lobby II,
wanted House members to examine wit.
nesses and have full charge of the
probe
Wants Open Sessions.
As soon as the debate on the House
lobby probe opened today Congressman
Cooper renewed his motion that all
meetings of the investigating commit
tee should be open TO the public.
CONGRESSMAN Fitzgerald, New York
Democrat, hotly declared that one thing
which encouraged the public to be sus-
picious of members of Congress was
lust such a resolution as Mr.. Cooper
had offered.