The Connecticut labor news., 1921-07-22
WHY DID THE ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATE PEOPLES RECONSTRUCTION
 LEAGUE AND NOT OTHER BIG LOBBIES?
Daugherty Sends Slueth Down on Anti-PrOf- teering Body bu t Keeps His Men Away From the PrOfteers.

From the PrOfteers.
 Washington, July 22-Why did the Attorney General investigate the Peo- ples Reconstructive League?
 Has the Attorney General investigated the big business lobbies-the United States Chamber of Commerce, the As soc1atlon of Railway Executives, the In- ternatlonal Association of Meat Pack CTS, and the National Coal Association :?
 Recently an agent of the Department lot Justice called at the offices of the Peoples Reconstruction Lague, and ask led the Executive Secretary where the League got Its money and what 1t was spending it for. He was given full in formation. The agent said he came un- der order of the Bureau of Investigation ot the Department of Justice, but that he d1d not have any written order nor would he answer Mir. Marsh's question as to whether he was specifically told to come to the Peoples Reconstruction League. The Secretary of the League has aSed the Attorney General to ex- plain the proceeding, and has asked sev- eral United States Senators to investi- gate 1t at the proper time. The investi- gatlon of the League reminds us of sev- eral things.
 As soon as the report of the Federal Trade Commission on the packing in- dustry was publishd the United States Chamber of Commerce started vicious and mSidious campaign against the Fed eral Trade Commission. It published a pamphlet CritiCising the Commissions re- port on the meat packers. These spokes- men before the Senate Committee on Agriculture referred to the Federal Trade Commission. It published a pamphlet criticising the Commissions re- port on the meat packers. These spokes- Agriculture referred to the Federal Trade Commission as the one utterly discredited by the Commission.
 The United States Chamber of Com merce has an annual income of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Did the At tOrney General of the United States be- fore he investigated the Peoples Recon struction League investigate the joint funds ot the big five packers all of whom are in the Institute of the American Meat Packers, knowing that the Federal Trade Commission has reported that these joint funds were used.
 To employ lobbyists and pay their unaudited expenses;
 To influence legislative bodies;
 To elect candidates who would wink at violations ot law, and defeat those Ipledged to fair enforcement;
 To control tax officials and thereby evade just taxation;
 To secure modification of government rules and regulations by devious and improper methods
 To bias public opinion by the control of editorial policy through advertising, loans, and subsidies, and by the publica- tiOn and distribution at large expense of false and misleading statements"
 The Railway Executives can use un- limited funds which serve to influence public opinion. Did the Attorney Gen. eral of the United States invtstigate the ten million dollar slush fund of the rail- way interests to be said to influence pub lie opinion in an effort to put across the Cummns-E Esch law?
 The National Coal Association has big offices and plenty of money. Some of its members are conspicuous prOfiteers. It has gotten certain publicity agencies to use its propaganda as news. Has the Attorney General of the United States investigated the activities of the Nation al Coal Association and is he going to? The League asks these questions and | 1t IS very pertinent that we ask them of the Attorney General. The Peoples Re construction League does not object to having an agent of the Department of Justice sWOOp down upon 1t and ask where 1t gets its money and what t spends 1t for provided the other Hobbies at the national capital are investigated III the same way. We shall be glad to let anybody know where we get our money hot f1o I,,+ l,,,-x well grounded suspicion that the Attor- ney General hasn't yet gotten around to Investigate the lobbies which are spend 1 ing millions of dollars i'll Washington. | We believe that the American people who are paying the taxes to support the l IDepartment of Justice will charge the Attorney General of the United States with Wilful waste of public funds in in- Ivestigating the Peoples Reconstruction Leagut which has nothing to conceal The League Is fighting the corporate in terests which have been protlteering for years upon the American public. The Attorney General is asking for enormous Appropriations of Congress to enable him to investigate and prosecute the IprOhteers.'
 The Leagues program which is the Eonly effective way to stop prohteering includes: Prompt restoration Of the railroads to united government control j; Legislation to control the meat packing industry; taxation of privilege instead of poverty, making our banking and credit system serve the people,; control of natural resources, and opposition to universal compulsory military training. Why does the Attorney General consci- ously or unconsciously lend himself to the sinister purposes of the prohteers of 1 America through his office while asking the people of the United States to pay 1 him hundreds of thousands of dollars supposedly to prosecute prOfteers. The Attorney General to put 1t mildly IS ln efficient and wasteful and Congress l should be careful to scrutinize his re quest for appropriation before giving him money to investigate organiza- tions which are fighting for the public good.
 Senator Robert M. LaFollette in his speech at the dinner of the Peo- ple's Legislative Service on April 10th, 1921, gave the following list ot big Hobbies in Washington: I. The United States Chambc rof Commerce;
 ?. The National Association of
 Manufacturers;
 3. The American Association of NJ eat Packers;
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