The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-20
The Lobby Committee Turns
Over New Leaf in
Story of Sugar
FRANK C. LOWRY
is CHIEF WITNESS
Tells of Attempts to Accelerate Public
Opinion in Interest of Free
Sugar-Received Moth
ing for Work

washington, June 19.--The Senate
committee in pursuit of "the lobby"
turned over a new leaf in the story of
the nation wide and long continued
campaign the advocates of free sugar
made to remove the duty on that ar
ticle. Frank c. Lowry, sales agent of
the Federal Sugar Refining company
secretary and organizer of the com
mittee of wholesale grocers.' wrote
the free sugar chapter for the commit
tee, while Senator Cummins acted as
guide through the smoke of the bat
lie of arguments and Senators Nelson
and Walsh lent their assistance when
the issues seemed to become obscured
Tonight the committee adjourned
subject to the call of the chair. The
three democratic members will be re-
quired to attend the democratic eau
Gus on the tariff bill, which begins to-
morrow and Chairman Overman did not
know when the hearings would be re-
sumed.
Robert S. Lovett chairman of the
Union Pacific board of directors, had
not been summoned to appear tonight,
and his subpoena may not be served
until the inquiry is taken up again.
Lowry's Examination Features
Lowry's examination featured the
closing session of the committee. He
told of his attempts to accelerate pub
lie opinion and TO persuade congress-
men and senators and spoke frankly
of his efforts in the national cam
paign of last fall. He said he fur
nished most of the sugar information
which appeared in the democratic cam
paign textbook; that he prepared data
OF free sugar for democratic cam
paign document which the present sec
retary Of the navy, Mr. Daniels, said
would get circulation of a million In
pamphlet form and that he had wired
Urging every member OF the resolutions
committee at the Baltimore convention
TO put free sugar plank in the demo-
cratic platform. The witness was on
The stand for four hours and when he
left he promised to produce any corre-
spondence In his files relating to the
organization of the grocers' committee
or his free sugar campaign Many of
the circulars sent out by him on the
letter head of that organization We're
Minis.
$4,000 Expenses
Lowry testified that he had conducted
his fight solely for the Federal com
pany, and that other refiners had not fig
ured in It, He thought the expenses had
amounted to about $4,000 in four years,
exclusive of his salary and commission as
sales agent, amounting TO about s6SOO0
in that period He got nothing for his
tariff work, he said, After many ques-
lions by Senator Cummns the witness
agreed that although all the sugar refners
did not seem 10 favor free sugar, they
would benefit only In a less degree than
the Federal by reduction in duty. Lowry
said, however, that an official of the
American Sugar Refining company the
so-called trust, had told him that free
sugar would put us out of business"
Senator Nelson was especially interested
and wanted to know just how 1t was
formed.
There was no formal meeting" said
Lowry. II wrote to Is or 30 wholesale
grocers and suggested that we form such
. commmittee.
"They were just dummies, them" sug-
gested Senator Nelson.
II don't think they were very dumb"
replied Lowry.
The whole proceeding was carried on
by correspondence?''
Yes, sir"
'You appointed the secretary and chair
man and organized the commmittee?'
Yes, sir"
Lowry told of efforts to break up the
committee.
"rhe domestic sugar people sent out
men," he said. ito try to break it up.