Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-09
LOBBYISTS HINDER
THEIR OWN. CAUSE
highly Paid Representative Who
Do Not Represent Flock In
DrUycs To Washington.
GIVE VALUABLE INFORMATION
Data Furnished by Them Has Been
OF Use 10 Ways and Means
Committee.
World Washington nuroau,
HUg Et,.h nlIr

World Washington huroau
-o2 Rsrs bids
WAsHINGTOM June S,---The
note warning congress Of the pres
cnce In Washington OF an 'n5idlouS
lobby against u revenue bill, and
fsrther lcbby Of interests who are
uholy to be heavily taxed IN the
revenue bill and the subsequent oN
pl0sion on the floor OF the house by
Majority Leader Claude kitchln
against the lobby, should be taken
with some seriousness by the big
interests Of the nation.
Ther9 ~ no question that there
SIN In "A strong lobby In the national
capital, hut both President Wilaon
and Leader Kitchln are taking the
power uf such lobby altogether too
seriously Always there Is present
IN Washington powerful lobbyists
they always have been here, and
WIN always he here. Their power,
however, Is simply matter foFI
mere Imagination 10 determine; and
such power Is more apparent. than
real Their heels sound loud on the
marble lobhies uf hotels but they
make little noise on the carpeted
slncWms of the committee rooms.
Nlncty-uine out OF every hundred
lobbyists are Jokes, and 1t only
requires a short residence IN Wash'
uEton by even a casual observer to
diminish his respect for the power
Of the lobbyist
As matter OF fact, the presence
| Of lobbyists here Is an almost GER
! tain guaranty that their employers
VIII get Just the reverse for what
| they were sent here 10 accomplish,
Lobbyists Gave Information.
This fact was clearly demonstrat-
ed In the last revenue bill. when the
provisions of that bill first became
known, aud certain Industries were
OF the opinion they were being too
heavily tsxed in proportion 10 other
industricsS the national capital filled
lfp With the paid lobbyist t--the law
year always ready 10 take a trip
with expenses paid to washington,
and ever ready TO earn a fee regard
less OF the merits OF the case OF his
client.
They came in droves, appeared
before tho ways and means com
mlttee, and In their protests dis
closed facts which he committee
was after and facts upon which a
basis for taxation was fixed, usually
higher than originally proposed with
the lack of the knowledge Furnished d
by the lobbyists. And Claud Kitch'
in, who by virtue OF his position as
chairman OF the ways and means
committee, which committee framed
the house revenue bill. openly made
the statement on the floor OF the
house that thg hest Information the
committee received, which enabled
II to increase the taxes OF the IN
dustries was from the lobbyists
themselves, and following out k.tcn
ms Idea OF legislation. the commit
tee soaked them, as the majorit!
leader stated
Interests and Industries through
out the country have been laborini
under the impression that their In
toreBts viii not be protected unless
they have "man on the ground.
and Washington today Is full OF high
salarled lawyers, living In luxury al
the expense OF employers and stock
holders. whose 'power" lies ID look
ing wise, and who hold their Jobs
by Interviewing underpaid newspa
! per correspondents as TO what IL
| going on, from which they make
| glowing reports to their employers,
and swell up, and never get results
Is Easy Graft.
When occasionally they do have
something to put over" they go
out and find a susceptible conRress-
man or senator, who does the work
for nothing, and the lawyer pulls
down the fec.
II the employers only knew IT,
the congressman would do just as
much II asked 10 do 50, by n So
cent telegram or Scent letter; do
IL jus, as quickly and moro pleas
antiy and more willingly.
There are several paid attorneys
and Lobbyists from the central west
I in Washington, representing lndi-
viduals. corporations and societies,
each drawing down as a minimum
$4,000 per annum ana expenses,
whose power" In the national capI-
tai is about as great with the ad-
minlstration ns LhFollette's is with
President Wilson. or tho kaisers
with God