New Mexico state record., 1921-02-11
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

BY EDWARD q. CLARK.
WashingtMn.-Senato Kenyon, Re-
publican, of Iowa, has introduced bill
to check the activities of lobbyists In
the City of Washington. Senator Over
man, Democrat, of North Carolina, al
30 has introduced bill for the same
purpose The bills are somewhat diff
ferent but they have the same end In
view.
Both of the measures would require
all lobbyists to register and to give
a report of the amount of pay which
they get for their work and an item
lied account of all expenditures, to-
gether with the source of the cash.
The Overman bill makes il the duty
of the employer of the lobbyist to
turn in the report on expenditures,
and makes 1t unlawful for any person
to seek to influence the action OF leg
lslatOrs except by personal appear
ance before congressional committees
In open session, or by means of ordi-
nary publicity matter or printed argu-
ments or briefs filed with members OF
congress.
The Kenyon bill requires that the
reports of expenditures shall be made
by the lobbyist himself. One sharp
feature of this bill is that 1t specitical-
~ includes former members of con-
gress within its provisions. Both
measures provide fines from $500 to
s. 900 for violations of the law.
More Careful but Still Offensive.
Lobbying in Washington is not car
ried on with all the old time disre-
gard Of the conventions of decency.
Lobbyists nowadays are more careful
In their procedure and to some extent
keep themselves well away from the
field Of sharp criticism. but neverthe-
less good deal Of lobbying Of dis
tinctly offensive kind still is going on.
Some senator's. however. recently have
stood up In congress to say that they
are button-hOled at every turn OF the
way by importunate ones who want
this thing done or that thing left un-
done.
In the days well within the memory
Of present members of congress II
would have been considered highly rn-
usual II not unheard of for any con-
gressman to object to lobbying meth
DDS. They were accepted In the elder
days as something which could not
be helped. and by some members they
were accepted as things altogether
right. Lobbying Of certain kinds be-
gan to come into disrepute about fif-
teen years ago. when Roosevelt was
president. The public was aroused
over some of the stories of lobbying
which went out and then and once
since then the president Of the United
| States has had something sharp to
say concerning the matter.
The provision in the Kenyon bill
which says In effect that former mem
bers of congress shall be subject to
the same rules which govern other lob
byists is a pointed thing. II can be
said without much fear Of contradic'
tion that one or two men who again
are In congress may have felt bit
uncomfortable when this provision OF
the proposed bill was read.
Economy That Would Be WastefuI
In the fiscal year 1919 a bureau
within the biological survey of thu
Department of Agriculture saved
slS,OO0,OOO worth of property TO the
farmers and stock raisers of the coun
try by it's war on destructive rodents
and predatory animals.
This saving of $ls,OOOOOO to the az
ricultural interests was made possible
because under the necessity of war
time production congress voted sun
of $225,O0O for the work Of the bureau
In addition to its ordinary basic ap
preparation. In other words, the ad
ditional sum added to the basic sum
the whole amount being somewhere II
the neighborhood Of 100000 brough
about a saving Of nearly S20,OO0,Oo0.
Congress today is bent on economy
As a result the proposal is made tt
cut appropriations for the bureau
| W hltH NdiS oh hoAiodS shs''
attack the crops and the stock TO ar
amount that will cripple the work ant
probably result in large losses TO the
crops and to stock which otherwise
might be averted. This sounds like
an editorial expression Of opinion, ant
30 II is, but II is based on the actua
performances Of the past and or
knowledge that since the fiscal veal
1919. and with decreased appropria
tions, the injurious rodents and TIN
predatory larger animals are increas
ing In numbers and In the damage tina
they are doing to grain and live stock
A member of congress was told tn,
other day by a man interested in pre-
venting the losses to the farmers ant
the stock raisers that If the govern
ment officials could prevent the pred
atory creatures from breeding and in
creasing. 1t would be all well enougl
to talk of decreased appropriations
but. he added, "all the talk abou
birth control in the United State,
does not concern itself with cougars
coyotes. wolves. field mice and gc
2hers."
| rnx~x>. Win M;eh;osn ch~en