Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-07
ARNOLD ASSA|LED
At LOBBY HEARING
Southern Tariff Association
Head Defends Self
Under Fire.

j A. Arnold, general manager Of the
Southern Tariff Association, was pic
tured as unfair to the interests he pre-
sumed to serve today by the Senate
lobby committee, which inquired further
into his political activities in behalf Of
certain agricultural rates in the tariti
bill.
Numerous letters purporting to reveal
Arnold'S interest in asking the two
Democratic Florida Senators, Fletcher
and Trammell, to support the whole
bill in exchange for higher rates on
Florida products, and the elimination OF
the So-called seasonal provision, were
read into the committee record.
Arnold was described by Senator
Blaine, Republican, of wisconsin, as
determined to force the Florida Senator's
to vote according to the tariff associa-
tion's wishes by using every influence,
political, financial and social, at his
command.
Arnold denied any such activities
It was not necessary to whip the
Florida Senators in line" he said, add
ing that 1t was necessary only to con-
vince them Of the reasonableness OF
their position.
Fletcher Refuses to "Trade."
Senator Fletcher vigorously refused
letter from Fletcher disclosed, ION the
grounds that If he promised adnainistra-
ton leaders to support the tariff bill
as a whole he would be "out of 1t" II
there was any trading to be done.
Further letters disclosed that while
Arnold was corresponding with Florida
interests in an effort to win Fletcher
and Trammell over to support of the
BILL he was advising Senator Watson
N.
ator Reed of Pennsylvania of re.
ported agreement between the Demo
Gratis and Republican insurgents out oi
which Midwestern agricultural prod.
ucts were to receive rates even higher
than advocated by the so-callrd farm
group.
In letters to the two Senators. Arnold
wrote that the farm group met last
October and that Senator BrookAart
Republican, of Iowa. stated that he
and Senator Frazier, Republican, OF
North Dakota, were proposing to Offer
| rs amendments raising Midwestern
rates. Arnold advised the administra-
! ton leaders that Brookhart had said
the insurgents would support the Demo
Gratis in opposing the flexible provision
in return for Democratic ASupport fol
the higher Western rates. Arnold said
! further in his letters that these rates
higher than those the farm group had
asked for.
Senator Blaine, Republican, Wis
consin, and Senator Caraway, Demo-
crat of Arkansas, chairman, were
unable to elicit from Arnold a satisfac-
tory explanation of why he conveyed
this information to the Republican lead
ers. Arnold insisted he knew no reason
why he should not convey 1t to any
| body and said it was merely to give
them information"
You claim to have been associated
with the farm group and to have CO.
operated with them in writing the tarif
BILL" Blaine observed, land you were
slipping information of the farm group
conference, not generally known, to
Republican leaders. Did you give the
information to anybody else?"
Arnold said he did not think so.
Denies Use Of Pressure.
When the Fletcher correspondence
was touched on, Senator Blaine asked
Arnold If the purpose of his organiza-
tion was not to use the "ax-handle" or
the Florida Senators to force them Il
support the bill as a whole. Blaine
asked the witness several times II M
was not cooperating with administra
(Continued on Page 2, Column A.