The Washington times., 1928-06-20
POWER BARONS
SOUGHT PRESS
CONT ROL

y How the public utilities interests
OF Missouri. Iowa and Michigan
sought to suppress chautauqua
speaker who was advocating public
ownership was revealed during the
testimony of J. p. Sheridan. of the
Missouri information bureau before
4 the Federal Trade Commission today.
Testimony was offered to show
that the power trusts agents went
out to get" Carl D. Thompson, a.
cilautauqua lecturer and obtained an
. agreement to have his lecture modi-
fled.
Planned Campaign
Thompson is secretary and execu-
tive manager of the Public Owner
ship League of America. In a let
%ter. introduced into the record, TO
Joseph Carmichael. director of the
. Iowa Utilities Information Bureau,
Sheridan declared that Thompson
was getting too gay and would have
to be fought not in lines of argu-
T1ent on public ownership. but on
communism, socialism, anarchy and
single tax.
''The farmers out here the let.
Ster said, hate these things like they
hate the devil.
Sheridan testified that in con.
ference with Keith Bawter. manager
of q Chautauqua circuit, Bawter de-
Nclared that Thompson would be
modified
! Difficulty" Planned
In q letter written by Alfred
Fischer, director of the Michigan
utilities bureau he expressed con-
fidence that il Carmichael and Sher-
idan "got together, our friend
Thompson will find some difficulty
Gin booking lectures next year"
A six-year campaign to control
? editorial opinion of Missouri news
papers through advertising sub
zidies, was disclosed by J. p. Sheri-
man. secretary of the Missouri Pub
lie Utilities Informa ton Bureau. be-
, fore the Federal Trade Commission
today.
With obvious reluctance Sheridan
admitted. under sharp questioning,
that he had established the policy
of alloting public utilities advertis-
ing to the State newspapers on the
= basis of the extent to which they
" reflected power trust-Views in edi-
toria1 and news columns.
Activities Varied
According to the testimony he
toften urged power magnates to
contribute TO fund of the organi
cation to create good will among
the newspaper writer's of Missouri.
His employers, Sheridan admitted.
had often forced him to pursue
propaganda tactics that were ''out
of line" with his own views.
Sheridan was shown to have or
zanized the Missouri schools tor
~ utilities propaganda. lie admitted
that he had prepared several util-
ties articles which were published
ov the State in manual These
described operations of the utilities
Rwithin the States.
Paid Professor
, Sheridan was asked by Healv II
anythinE had been done in Missouri
to get rid of school text hooks which
we're Objectionable TO utilities inter
est. He said he knew nothing Of
this kind.
In 1924 he said he paid Prof.
1I.angsdorf, of WASHINGTON Univer-
sity. for writing letters to high
. school principals aid other school
heads. with the object of introduce
ing public utilities pamphlets in
|, .theae institutions.
Dean McCaustIand. of the school
Of engineering of h"-tTniVersity of
Missouri, was paid SIS each and ex.
nenses for three lectures delivered
before teachers colleges. Cancelled
CHECKS were put In the record 10
bach up this point 1t was stated
ehats 10.90e copies ct ths lectures
~ ;. ~