The Washington herald., 1913-08-31

Steel Preducts-Jackson of Maryland.
! wool-Catron and Fall of New Mexico
Shields of Tennessee, Smoot of Utah
Warren of Wyoming.
Cotton-Jackson of Maryland, Johnson
! of Maine, Lippitt of Rhode Island, Sim.
yia, Ransdell of Louisiana.
: Timber-Simmons of North Carolina
and Stephenson Of Wisconsin.
Investigation Proper Begins.
The cursory examination of the Sen
ate membership concluded. the commit
tee launched into the lobby investiga-
| ton proper. The activities of former
members of the House and Senate, who
capitalized their floor privileges and their
personal acquaintanceships and knowl-
edge of legislative ways by accepting re
tainers" to lobby for special interests
next occupied the center of the stage.
Prominent among these was former
Senator Charles J. Faulkner, Democrat
Of West Virginia, who had been virtually
accused by Senator Kenyon of Iowa Of
lobbying on the floor of the Senate.
Faulkner admitted that he had twenty
two railroads, whose interests in WASH
ington he represented. Former Repre-
sentative William S. Bennett, Republican,
Of New York; former Representative
Charles B. Landlss, Republican, of In
diana; former Representative ]. A. L.
Hull of Iowa, and others were examined,
and admitted various connections, while
Senator Poindexter. Progressive, of
Washington made the committee sit up
by naming as lobbyists former Senators
Dick of ONO, Butler of North Carolina,
and Du Bois Of Idaho, and former Rep
teaur of New York.
The sugar lobby, which has proven to
be by far the most powerful of all, and
which has accumulated tremendous force
and experience in the course Of a ten
year fight against tariff legislation af-
fecting their specirl interests, was next
aimed - by the Senate committee. 1t
developed that the Hawaiian interests
alone expended 100000 to defeat the free
sugar provision in the Underwood bill
employing as their general Washington
representative Sidney Ballau at a salary
of $4,000 year, with a 5000 expense
account.
Built "Back-Gre."
Louisiana sugar interests admitted that
they had built a peculiarly unconfort-
able ''back-fre" behind Senators and
Representatives through an endless
chain" system and letters and kilograms.
But while further investigation showed
that the estimates of expenditures by the
Hawaiian and Louisiana interests. as
made by their representatives, were ex-
conservative, TO say the least, 1t
remained for the beet sugar industry to
disclose a really powerful lobby. This
lobby was under the direction of Trum.l
G. Palmer prolific and attractive writer
on sugar beet subjects, and who appar-
emily had unlimited use of the United
States mails the Government Printing
Office, and the Congressional Record, to
say nothing of money furnished him by
his clients, the United States Beet Sugar
Association.
Palmer testified that. under the frank
Of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, he had
sent out $4,000 copies of a document pre-
pared by him, entitled Sugar at
Glance" Under the frank of former Sem
atOr Charles Curtis of Kansas he had
sent out 10000 of another document;
200 of still another document under TIN
frank of Senator SmOot of Utah, and
hundreds of thousands of other docu-
ments under various other franks. Mr.. |
Palmer himself figured out that he had |
saved through this method of distribu- |
ton s2S,O5O in postage alone. 10 say moth |
ng of having the matter printed at cost |
at the Government Printing Office.
Immense sums Spent.
But the real big figures and the real |
scope of the beet sugar industry's fight q,
anne to the front when Henry T. OK |
lard, vice president of the American |
Sect Sugar Company, and virtual founder !
# the beet sugar industry in this coun- /!
ry, took the stand. Mr.. Oxnard told the /
committee he had been fighting since !
SOS, when he opposed free Hawaiian !
ugar at a probable cost of $4,000; that !
he Sugar Trust had expended S750,OOO TO |
Iefeat the Cuban reciprocity treaty in /
sos. and that he himself had spent the |
Ireater part of the last twenty-three
ears protecting the beet and cane
ugar industries, while he had expended
t least S23O.O0O himself. and may have /
expended twice that much.
Yes" he said, in answer to a oues- I
ion from Senator Overman, II have |
pent all the money 1 could rake and L
Grape together through assessments, but |
lot a single penny was spent iIlegiu. |
nately"
The fight against the Democratic sugar 1
chedule revision bill of 1912 and the I'm =
erwood bill of 1913 was barred when an Il
ttache of the committee swooped down !.
n the sugar headquarters here early IN Il
une and cOmmandeered a large box full
f letters and kilograms, most OF them /
Tritten to, or by, C. C. Hamlin, chair
nan of the executive committee of the |,
Inited States Beet Sugar Industry Az
ociation. This correspondence told of an
tempt in 1912 by certain sugar interests Il
o acquire control Of the Chicago Inter-
'cean, which, so Hamlin wrote to c. l.. il
Warren, president of the Michigan Sugar
company, at Detroit, has always been
friendly to our interests, and should We
id Mr.. Hinman Cwho was trying to So
ure control of the paper) a speciality will
e made of the sugar tariff. and our busi- {
ess will receive particular attention all
long the line"
Was Paid S15,00O n Yenr.
Another letter showed that Hamlin re
eived $4,000 year, Truman G. Palmer. :
0,O00 a year. and office expenses ana {
'aveling expenses added another 5000
ear. The correspondence told OF the {
'riting of the plank in the Republican
latform of 1872 by the sugar interests; q
attempts to bring pressure upon Sec t
etary Taft, when the latter was a can I
idate for the Republican nomination.; Of !
ttempts to pack Ways and Means, |
inance. and Philippines Committees of Ii
ongress, and of similar activities, more
r less successful. including the employ
lent of travelling agents TO educate G
ongressmen in their home districts. I
Opposed to the propaganda of the sugar
interests. Frank c. Lowry G
lles agent of the Sugar Refining Com G
any, and the only active member of the ! a
0-called Wholesale GTocers' Committee,
Z which he was secretary, was put on I
lie stand. Lowry was fighting for free d
Igar. He admitted that the association
| whose name he sent out thousands t
nd thousands of circulars urging free
agar refners.
He admitted that he had circ,rla ted | Il