Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-17
Tuesday, May II, 1921.
POSTING CONGRESSMEN
New Organization TO Help Congress
Serve Has Been Formed.
THINKERS MEMBERS OF THE I;OUNClL
Organization Created Last December
is Just Getting Gown to Work.
Belief is That it viii Prove lnvalu-
Ill.
By Frederick ]. Haskin,

BY Frederick j. HaSkln.
Washington, D c., May ia new
organization that is to help congress
serve the interests Of the general pub
lie has been formed. It. is called the
peoples legislative service, and its ma
tional council is composed Of 70 sena-
tHrs, representatives, judges, editors
and other we'll known liberals.
This organization will attempt tc
give the general public-also designat-
ed'as the ordinary citizen and the ulti-
mate consumerJthe same advantages
before congress that business, labor
farmers and other groups have. These
groups are organized and have lobbies
to present their arguments forcefully
before congressional committees. AL
most any information needed by them
can be obtained instantly from their
headquarters.
But when it comes to the public's
side of case. there is no well-posted
representative shouting in the ear Of
congress Even when a congressman
has reason to think bill will work
hardship on the people as a whole, he
has trouble in collecting sufficient
facts to suppertihis position. Senator
La Toilette said that he has spent "a
hours q day for weeks at a time, trying
to get at the facts on the, other side of
some bill that was being. pushed by a
corporation. I.'%
The new group; of men and women
that aim to.serve the peoples interests
claim that they are not starting lob
by, like the various organizations that
boost the affairs of tradesmen machin-
lists cotton growers and the like. The
institution they are founding is some
what like a lobby in that it is a,
source of information for congress.
But unlike lobby it represents no
limited part of the population, but the
public as a whole, It is for the bene-
fit of any congressman who want In
formation on the public's side of any
case, and it is maintained by subscrip-
tions of members, some of whom are
congressman.
To Support the Public Cause.
The new service organization eXis
plains that it cannot logically take Il
neutral position and furnish inforna-
ton on both sides of question. There
is really no need for this anyway. be-
cause almost any big bill has its sup
porters speaking for some special in
terest. The legislative service feels.
therefore, that in taking the public side
it is only balancing the scale.
The national council of the peoples
legislative service is made up OF men
and women in all parts Of the country
who arc interested in the public vel
fare, as we'll as in that Of some partic-
ular group. Thus, there are in the
council the president of the brother
hood Of boilermakers and iron snip
builders, the president of the farmers
national council, the general secretary
of the National Consumers league, the
president of the Alabama State FEEDER
alton of Labor, the president OF the Or
der of Railway Telcgraphcrs, and many
others representing important groups
These people are not in the council
primarily as labor or farm representa-
tivcs, however, but as member of the
public.
The council has also in its member
ship such general social workers ana
thinkers as Jane Addams. Thcrstein
veblcn, Herbert Croly, Frederic c.
Howe.
The attitude of the organization on
any particular bill will be decided ait