Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-30
COL. POTTER TO
Be LOBBY WITNESS
Labor Leaders Will Ask Sen
ators to Call East Or
ange Man.
| Star Bureau,
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg.
WASHINGTON, July 80.

WASHINGTON, July ~,
Labor leaders here announced last
night that they would ask the Senate
lobby investigating committee to sub
poena Colonel Henry A. Potter, OF
East Orange. as a witness In the
probe.
Colonel Potter. who at one time was
prominent in the New Idea move
ment in Essex county, is at the head
of a big oilcloth business In Phiia-
delphia, and has for several years
taken an active part in business or
ganization designed TO prevent tariff
reductions.
The East Orange man is wanted to
tell about the use of the funds of the
National Anti-Boycott Association, of
which he was treasurer.
1t is alleged by labor leaders that
this organization spent large sums of
money in political campaigns and in
lobbying to prevent the enactment of
anti-injunction and other laws urged
by union labor interests Fl. B. w.
Colonel Henry A. Potter, who lives
at 95 Harrison street, East Orange,
has not yet been SUNNI ed to appear
before the Senate LOBBY investigating
committee at Washington. although
he expects and has been expecting to
be called. Early in the days of the
probe 1t was reported that he had
been subpoenaed. His was one of the
-. 49, DAy4 ne
one of those who had interviewed him
al time when the tariff revision was
being considered by the Senate. The
agitation to have him called now does
not concern the tariff, 1t is under
stood, but has to do with the alleged
interest of Colonel Potter in labor
legislation.
The National Anti Boycott Asso-
citation, of which Colonel Potter is
the treasurer, has been regarded in
the light of an enemy by the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. There is
an impression among some of the
large employing manufacturers that
the federation is back of the agita-
ton to bring Colonel Potter to the
stand. Several years ago the fedora
ton tried in the New York courts to
get the officers of the National Anti
Boycott Association to testify re-
garding that organization. 1t is de-
scribed by the federation as secret
organization, and the federation
members would like to have made
public the names of the members.
Concerning the possibility of his
being summoned to appear before
the Senate lobby committee at WASH
ington, Colonel Potter said last night:
"I have been expecting to be called.
I am quite ready to go before the
Senate committee and answer any
questions they may put to me. The
whole matter is distasteful to me and
/ had rather not talk about it, but
of course shall respond to a sub
poena IL 1t comes.
las far as my interest in labor
legislation is concerned 1 have no
hesitation IN admitting that I am an
officer of the National Anti-Boycott
Association. That is an organization
with the patriotic purpose of oppos-
ing illegal interference with the rights
of employers. We oppose boycotts
and illegal means of Fostering en-
ployers, that is all.
This lobby investigation, while
we'll meant. is not turning up any
serious evils as far as I have seen in
following it in the newspapers. Be-
fore it has finished its labors perhaps
the Senators may find 1t expedient
to call some of the representatives of
the American Federation of Labor.
AS spainstaking and persistent lobby
lists certain representatives of that
organization ought to be called and
questioned. They might be able to
tell the committee something of their
efforts in favor of certain labor legis-
lation.
81 have heard that they may be
called and it might be as we'll If the
committee is going into the labor
question to have them up and hear
from them"