Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-08-01
LOBBY PRESS MIL
CONTINUES GRIND
INVESTIGATION FAILS 70 CHOKE
OFF EFFORTS TO INFLUENCE
LEGISLATION.
MANY DIFFICULTIES IN
WAY OF hALTINo LOBBY
Sugar Interests Continue Active and
Lobbyists Busy Pleading for Free
Trade-6anksrs on Hand to Argue
Currency Bill Pro and con-Lstters
Continue at Flood Tide.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Aug. 1.-The senate
lobby investigation. which caused q
scattering among some of the active
lobbyists about Washington, especially
the small fry and the little fellows,
has not sufficed to choke of the food
OF letters and literature with which
members Of congress are inundated.
Nor does 1t seem at all likely that
this flood is going to be interfered with
to any great extent. While the effect
Of the inquiry may be to call q halt on
the distribution Of miscellaneous mis-
leading statements. it looks as II the
stream Of letters. briefs, and other lat
erature of an interested sort would run
on forever.
An Amusing Incident.
An amusing incident Of the lobby In
quiry the other day was that a con-
stituent Of Senator Reed, while the In
vestigation was in progress. got him
out in the corridor. waved his arms
about and insisted that the senator
favor the particular proposition in
which the constituent aforesaid was
interested. The senator took it good
naturedly 1t illustrated the practical
difficulties in the way Of putting a
halt to the lobby. Similarly. tho 1t has
clearly appeared before the senate lobby
committee that one Of the most potent
methods Of influencing members OF
congress to which the lobby resorts Is
literature Of one variety and another,
and tho the members Of the committee
disapprove this sort Of thing. there
does not seem any effective way II
reaching it. The right Of petition under
the constitution Is a pretty broad one
and it covers a multitude OF sins.
Sugar Producers Literature.
A good illustration Of the situation ia
seen in the literature put out by the
Domestic Sugar Producers Association
The sugar lobby was subjected to a
severe grilling before the lobby COM
mittee- Still. this has not checked Its
activities. Henry T. Oxnard. the beet
sugar king. is still . familiar ngure
about the capitol It was only the
other day he was seen lunching with
Q senator and 30 long as he wants to do
SO and the senator il willing there's no
way apparent to head him of. More
over, the literature from the head
quarters Of the Domestic Sugar Pro-
ducers' Association in the Colorado
Building still keeps coming. The Do
nestle Sugar Bulletin devoted to the
interests Of sugar production under the
American flag" continues to be circu-
lated.
OF course. doing this, the domestic pro-
ducers are only doing what lot Of
other folks are doing. One source Of
literature lately Is the Committee on
railway mail pay" This committee.
which purports to represent 264 rail-
roads operating 21s.o00 miles Of road,
Is making . campaign to impress on
the present method Of paying the rail-
roads for carrying mail works great
injustice to the railroads and that.
In view Of the large increase
Of parcels post business. the COM
pensation ought to be increased. AZ
a matter Of fact, there has been for
years an active lobby here In behalf
of railroad mall pay. Indications are
the lobby investigation will not inter-
fere with an energetic campaign Of .
lobbying sort by the railroads to get
the railroad mail compensation raised
to point which will satisfy the roads
Bankers Business, Pro and Con.
These are only samples OF what is
going on In many lines Of effort to
influence legislation. The friends OF
free sugar continue to bestir themsel-
YES, bankers are busy. bro and con. in
trying to influence currency legisla-
ton Just now, 1t happens that Con-
gress is considering seriously. for ac-
ton this session, only two big things,
currency an dtarin. next winter. there
will be a great number Of important
propositions considered with reference
to immediate legislation. This prom
Uses to bring on the lobbyists in force.
II the lobbyists. their letters. their
petitions and their literature. are not
as thick as fieas on the proverbial cur,
ii will be strang situation. As mat
ter of fact, about all that those who
want legislation on the lobby question
hope to be able to achieve il to prohi-
bit some of the worst forms Of 1t and
to compel such lobbying ard near-lob-
bying as is resorted to-and 1t will al
ways be plenty-to be open and above
board SO there will be no excuse Tor
any man in congress with his eyes open