The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-03-19
TOLLS EXEMPTION
LOBBYING CHARGED
WASHINGTON ATTORNEY &C.
kNOWLEDGES ACTIVITY
FOR CLAUSE.
PROBE TO BE FAR-REACHlNG
Carnegie Endowment Declared to
Favor British.American Alliance
--Deknight Chief Witness Be-
fore Senate Committee.

Washington, March 14.-Renewal OF
the inquiry by the senate investigat
ing committee turned toward the re
ports that there is organized opposi
ton in Washington, backed by infu
entail forces, against the proposed
repeal of the toll exemption provision
OF the Panama canal act.
Activity is Admitted.
| The committee examined Clarence
W. DeKnight, Washington lawyer
who admitted activity on behalf of its
concerns in favor of toll exemption
when the bill was passed. but fatty
denied knowledge of any lobbying eff
forts to prevent passage of the re-
peal bill.
The committee, at the direction of
Chairman Overman, has issued sub
poena for DR.. James Brown Scott, sec
rotary for the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace, whose name
entered into the spirited debate in eN-
ecutive session of the senate several
weeks ago between Senators Root and
O'Gorman of New York.
Charge of O'Gorman.
When extension of the general arbi
tration treaty with Great Britain was
under consideration, involving the tolls
issue, Senator O'Gorman charged that
the Carnegie endowment had for it's
prime motive. not the promotion OF
international peace but the formation
of a British-American alliance. Sena
tor Root hotly protested against his
colleagues statement. The lobby COM
mittee proposes to inquire through DR..
Scott into the actual aims and opera
ton of the foundation and whether
it has entered at all into the tolls con-
troversy pending in congress.
Before the committee DeKnight,
precipitated the investigation, with be-
ing the chief agent of an alleged lobby,
admitted having devoted his efforts
for Is years to urging legislation in be-
half of various interests, but declared
that to his knowledge, no opposition
to the desire of the president that the
toll clause be repealed had beenF-or.
SdnlZGu OUTSIDE OIL congress-.
Admits Contract.
The lawyer admitted having entered
into a contract with the Fore River
Ship Building company, through for
mer Rear Admiral P. T. Bowles, to
work for free tolls for coastwise ship.
ping when the matter first came before
congress. For this service he received
$1,000, he said, but contingent fee of
$4,000 additional depending on the pas
sage of the tolls bill in that form had
not been paid. DeKnight agreed to
produced this contract when the hear
ing is resumed tomorrow. DeKnight
told also of urging through congress
various bills providing for increase in
pay and higher rank for men of the
army and navy. He estimated that
the contracts that he made for this
work witt individuals and associations
OF enlisted men had brought him $40
900.
About 100 of these contracts, he
promised to lay before the committee
together with all the correspondence
he had with various ship building
companies and with the Pneumatic
Tube Service company of Boston,
which operates the tube service of the
postoftlces in various cities.
Ignorant Of Violations.
The witness declared he did no.
know that a law existed against con
tracts such as those he had made with
soldiers and sailors now in the service
or retired, whereby they were to pay
percentage of increased salaries for
his services. He insisted that several
legal firms in Washington devoted
much time to this business.
Telling of his present occuDation
Deknight said he had seen service
about congress first as a page steno"
rapher and committee clerk in tha
house and later as clerk of the nava.
affairs committee of the senate. He
served as stenographer on the armor
board of the navy department under
Secretary Long and also in the most
office department in a clerical cana.
city.