The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-06-18
Fight FREE SUGAR.
With TIE GOVERNMENT POSTAL
DEPARTMENT
And PRULING OFFICES

and PRULING OFFICES
Representative Of the Sugar Trust
Testifes That More Than 1,5oO,-
900 Copies of Arguments Against
Free Sugar Had Been Printed in
Government Office.
How the Government printing Of
fee and the post-oflce department
helped in the fight against free sugar
through the use OF Congressional
franks for sending anti-free sugar
literature" circulating throughout
the land was brought out Thursday
by the Senate lobby investigators.
Truman G.. Palmer, Washington rep
resentative Of the United States beet
sugar industry, on the stand the en-
tire day and the object Of a sweeping
cross-examination, testified that more
than 100000 copies of arguments
in behalf of beet sugar had been
turned out by the Government print
ing Office, made public documents by
order of Congress and had ridden on
the franks Of Senators and Repre-
sentatives to the ends Of the country,
postage free. Sugar at a Glance" !"
prepared by him, he said, had at
tanned circulation of 10000 copies
under the frank Of Senator Lodge.
Reports of the Finance Committee,
by the same Senator, had beaten the
pamphlet by $4,000 copies.
The franks of Senator Smoot, for
mer Senators Curtis and Dick and the
late Representative Malby, former
Representative Picket and Represen-
tative Martin had swelled the total
to more than million and half.
The printing of some Of this number
had been paid for by the beet sugar
people, the witness said, but the free
postage had saved them about $S,-
900. Mr.. Palmer developed that
Sugar At a Second Glance" which
he intimated was inspired by the Fed
eral Sugar Refining Company, and
which was an argument In behalf OF
free sugar, had also been printed as
public document and circulated under
the franking privilege. He did not
say, nor did the committee ask, why
the frank was so used.
Mr.. Palmer said that the beet sug-
ar men had spent about S160,00e in
their campaign against free sugar
since 1902. About $4,000 had
been used since last November, and
about fourteen thousand of that
amount since the beginning Of the
present session Of Congress. Much Of
if had been spent in publicity work"
in printing, salaries and good siz-
ed sum in motion pictures. He said
that the beet producers in his AS
sociation were assessed about five
cents per ton, he thought. The last
assessment was made in April, bring
ing in about $4,000 and the pre-
vious one in February, about s17,-
900
Palmer said that when Senator
Lodge made speech on. sugar in Ju-
", 191, the charts subsequently, used
in "Sugar at a Glance" were on the
walls Of the Senate Chamber. Sena-
tor. Lodge secured the permission of
the Senate to have them printed as a
public document. Questioned by
members Of the committee, the Wit
ness said that after the charts had
been sent to the government print
ing Office and proofs in black and
white had been made Of them, he had
discovered they were suitable for
publication. He had, therefore, sent
them to a private printing concern
and had them prepared in fashion
he thought suitable. This he main
tanned, was done with the knowledge
Of Senator Lodge and he considered
that he was acting for the Senator in
the matter.
Members Of the committee express
ed surprise that any one should II
any way change something authorized
to be printed by the Senate. They de-
velcped that the permission was Sc
cured by Senator Lodge for printing
on July q and that one Of several
issues of sugar at Glance" refer
red to an order Of the Senate on
August l in the same matter.
The second order referred to data
prepared by Truman G. Palmer and
purported to be signed by Charles G.
Bennett, the secretary of the Senate.
Mr. Palmer said he supposed that the
order had been made and that he got
it in the proofs of the charts from the
printing Office. The Congressional
Record of August /, according to
Senator Cummins, showed no such
order, nor did the Journal of the
Senate nor the files in its document
room.
"you substituted at the govern
ment printing Office for the document
YOU received from the clerk Of the
Senate this privately printed copy?"
said Senator Reed.
ssI don't think that is fair Ques-
tion," said Palmer.
CT want to find out about this, ,"
said Senator Cummins. ''It is rath-
er serious matter to forge a signature
Of the secretary Of the Senate to an
order that never was made"
The committee finally dropped the
question with the expressed determi-
nation to pursue it further and inves-
tigate books and records Of every