The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-11-08
SENATORS TO
SCAN RECORDS
Of LOBBYISTS
Treasurer of Legislative
Council Called to Tell
of Payments.
WATSON, REED FIGURE
Agent Informed SoIonS of
Farm Organization
Activities.


of third organization in which
j. A. Arnold, manager of the
Southern Tariff Association and the
American Taxpayers League, had
an interest are to be scanned by
the senate lobby investigating COM
mittee next week.
The third organization is known
as the National Council of State
Legislatures and it's treasurer,
Thomas A. Hill of Pine Bluff, Ark.
has been summoned to testify Tues
day.
Although Arnold said he held no
Office in the council, he submitted
what was said to be a statement
of it's financial records Thursday.
Arnold said he did this at request
of John Henry Kirby, the president
of the council, who also is president
of the Southern Tariff Association.
Kirby is a multi millionaire lumber
man of Houston, Tex.
The report showed that in 1927
the council was organized in Wash
ington and collected $14,999 and
disbursed $11,092; in 1923, it took in
$2,499 and spent 5000 and in 1929
it's receipts have been 1864 and ex-
penditures $3.50. Over the three
year period a balance of $80.74 is
shown.
Senator Blaine told Arnold the
records were incomplete and that
the amounts of individual contribu-
tons and disbursements were not
shown. Arnold said he submitted
just what Hill sent to him. The
committee then decided to sum-
mon Hill and all records of the or
ganization.
Fought Estate Tax
The Council of Legislatures was
active in fighting the estate tax be-
fore the house ways ard means
committee and interested itself In
other tax legislation, Arnold said.
His organizations merely co-operat-
ed with it and provided it with
headquarters, Arnold asserted.
The only contribution showing
any amount was $1,000 by Kirby,
Blaine discovered in examining the
records.
Arnold spent another three hours
before the committee Thursday dur
ing which more Of his correspond
ence was read.
Two letters addressed to Senators
Reed and watson attracted the most
interest of the lobby committee
members.
In these letters, Arnold told of
attending a meeting of the farm
organization groups interested in
the tariff bill and reporting their
conclusions to the two standpat
members of the senate finance COM
mittee. Arnold informed Watson
and Reed that the progressives in
the senate and the Democrats had
formed a coalition by which the
progressives would aid the Dem
ocrats in defeating the flexible pro-
visions Of the tariff bill in return
for the Democrats assisting the
progressives to rewrite the rates.
Any He Pleased
IL ICDCdlC0 OCIlld44OD 40 w WHY
Arnold considered it necessary to
report to Watson and Reed, the
witness replied that he thought they
were entitled to the information
and he had the right to communi-
cate with any senator he pleased.
Conferences between Watson and
Arnold, referred to in correspon-
dence, Arnold characterized as
meetings just before Watson went
into senate finance committee ses-
sions.
What has been described as a
working agreement" between r. B.
Creager, Republican national COM
mitteeman of Texas, and Arnold,
was gone into at length with CORE
spondence between the two being
read.
Arnold agreed he and Creager had
been working together to defeat
Representative Garner, minority
leader, but denied they had been
cooperating" as stated by Senator
Caraway, committee chairman.
Arnold revealed that his three as
sociates in his two organizations are
inter-related. Mrs. Ida M. Darden,
in charge of the FIT. Worth Office, Is
the wife of w. F. Myrick and the
sister of Vance Muse. All three are
working for Arnold.
Arnold's activities were traced
back as early as 1903 and showed
he had raised funds to fight wom-
ems suffrage, prohibition, and legis-
lation of various kinds.
Caraway said it looked like Arnold
would take money from any one to
oppose anything. Arnold disputed
this and Caraway said: You've al
ways got your hand out, haven't
you?"