The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1914-07-03
WHO'S WHO IN LOBBYISTS

WHO'S WHO IN LOBBYISTS
A number of organizations in Wash
inUosn have 10 oehsv excuse for existence
|ehanes sssnss iavsgsble legislation. A.
noas 1hnD sse thD1sbsr and agricultural
'ergnni.sGisun- Yst - one has ever ques-
tionsd ~ sigkaR q - representative at
thess bsd11n. u1DnnDons.tives OF public
landa inssrnus ~ ~ re.s have also been
|Ioo11f1Fsr1eE1 ~ n -WmnfaxSnr.
The people who are mose apt 10 b e.
cused OF lobbying are thoss who repre-
sent manufacturing and oommsrcial en-
terprises, and there has been some re-
sentiment expressed in regard To this by
some Of the people who have been fight
ing for what they believed TO be the
rights of manufacturing and industrial
interests. One manufacturer has com
planned that "When we send represent
atives TO the Capitol to keep us advised
upon our matters, and We present our
views in relation thereto, we are accused
Of keeping a secret and dangerous, if not
a corrupt, lobby"
This charge has drawn a response from
the President, who Was the original dis
cOverer OF the ''insidious lobby" lie
says that he believes that tlse real repre-
sentatives Of all interests have perfect
right To maze their case known at the
National Capitol, but he draws the line
upon that class Of Representatives who
send out form letters and get people u
sign them up" all over the country.
and ire them IN upon the Capitol. When
the parcel post was hefore Congress there
were hundreds Of thousands 81 such COM
munieations, both for and against the
measure.
THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE.
year ago there were lsO employer
in the dead letter office. Now there art
about eighty The rea-on is found IN
the fact that the slenths who fathom the
mysteries Of poor sddres-es have becoms
more proficient in their work, and that
better results have been obtained in trsc.
ing badly sddre--ed mail and turning il
over 70 the several po-tofiices and divis.
i'm ana railroad centers throughout tie
country. Foreign mail. which has in
the past been the sourue of much concern
% the dead letter office. IL now handle,
largely az the port Of entry Of this cOun.
try. The dead letter Office vas establish,
FL almost ninety years ago. and IL one o
WashI gtOn's oldest and most widely
celebrated institutions. Unlike many .
the divisions of the Department !. va.
not created BY statute, but became 81
institution resulting from regulations ths
letters he sent ~ the dead letter Office. '
Before 1880 no detailen record ws- kepl
Of IL transactions; although the record
show the receipt of 5000 letters in IsS
and $1,000 in ls57. The Senate adopt
ID resolution on March y. 1857. re
que>ting the Postmaster General % STAT
the number Of letters received in the des,
letter once during the fiscsl year, and y
desermins what further legislation "a
Necessary 10 diminish the number Of -ucl
letters and 70 provide for their return b
-enders.
PRESIDENT breaches PROS
PERITY.
President Wilson sppesr ~ 10 IN
principal prosperity booster. and IL doe
not make much difference What sort o
stores are told about hard time-, he in
si-ts that the golden sse Of prosperity !
just ahead. The President has turne,
down Suggestions shss Congres- adjourn
until the tru-s bills are conpsssed. Afs~
thss bii's are out Of the var there -iI
Be sdjounDsnt sndf 'psac>."