Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-31

ArnOIQ SalQ. kirby previously LeSClIleQ
that the Southern Tariff Association
was not interested in schedules such as
the Connecticut Manufacturers Asso-
citation had been shown to be interested,
but that the organization advocated
tariff changes with special reference 70
agriculture.
Chairman Caraway, soon after Kirby
took the oath as witness, branched out
into a political inquiry.
did you know there was a working
agreement between Arnold and r. B
Creager Republican national commit
teeman from Texas to get out candi-
dates?" Kirby said he did not.
After considerable fencing with the
witness, Caraway had read a letter
dated August 19 last, purporting to have
been sent from Creager to Arnold.
Caraway'S plain intimation was that
Arnold, in his capacity as an officer OF
the Tariff Association and of the Tax
payers League, was advising with Re
publican political leaders in an effort
to defeat Democratic candidates.
Arnold wrote to Creager: II talked
with Belcher &C. C. Belcher of Del
Rio). He seems willing to make the
race for Representative from the four
tenth district, but expressed uneasi-
ness about the general condition of
the Republican party in the State and
nationally" Arnold quoted Belcher as
havingSQuestioned whether 1t would be
O profitable to trade off the election
or prosecute a winning campaign.
Creager Sends Regrets.
Still later, Creager wrote to Arnold,
saying he was sorry 1--WE couldn't get
Belcher in this district" Chairman
Caraway asked Kirby If Belcher is not
now running for Congress on the Dem
ocratic ticket. The witness said he did
not know.
The National Council of State Leg
islatureS, of which Kirby is president,
an organization composed of officers
and members of the Legislatures in
various States and others, is interested,
Kirby previously had said, in protest.
ing the inheritance tax.
When Kirby said he and his organ
izationS favored ancompetitive tariff and
referred to the Houston platform of
the Democratic party as outlining his
views, Caraway asked him what Texas
did about supporting the platform.
Texas was n of the five Southern
States that voted for President Hoover.
We'll" Kirby said, I'VE had a religious
issue"
The examination then turned to a
more detailed inquiry about the func-
tions. organization and activities of the
Vi 6dllAAdO1OLlo Will W1llCIl HlIDy Ii CUIl-
nected, and Senator Blaine, Republican,
of Wisconsin took over the questioning.
Kirby Clashes With Blaine.
Kirby seemed to resent Senator
Blaine's manner from the first. At one
point, when the Wisconsin Senator
sought to have Kirby identify the sigma
ture on a letter sent out v his name,
calling a meeting Of the National Coun-
Ill ~ Cfaf1 7 anicloftProc IN VIC cIfaOfN,,
next month, Kirby reSentfully asserted
that Blaine was not being fair.
Blaine retorted by accusing the wit
ness of withholding information and
refusing to answer questions 'candidly."
Kirby said in response to Senator
Robinson, Republican, of Indiana, that
he thought Senator Bingham of Con-
necticut was entirely proper in employ
ing Eyanson to assist him in his work
the tariff bill.
Members of the committee sought at
length to identify Kirby and Arnold
and their organizations with an effort
to influence Congress in tariff matters,
but Kirby was persistent ia his position
that their activities were educational.
The committee recessed until tomor-
row before concluding its examination
of Arnold. He will appear again to-
morrow at 10 o'clock. The committee
today requested Kirby to furnish it with
the records Of contributions ard TX
penditure of the Southern Tariff
Association.
Kirby Wants to Explain.
Mr.. Kirby told the committee that he
was appearing voluntarily, because he
wished to explain the activities of the
Southern Tariff Association, of which
he is president, since it had been ma
ligned" in connection with the lobby
investigation. He said that association
was organized in 1920 by farmers, stock
raiSers and allied interests to oppose
the policy of free raw material in tariff
legislation.
Senator Caraway Immediately asked
Kirby to state the relationship of
j. A. Arnold of Washington, with Of
fees in the Munsey Building, to the
Southern Tariff Association.
Mr.. Arnold is manager of the asso-
citation, at a salary of $500 a month,
and has been in Washington in that
capacity since 1922, Mr.. Kirby said.
adding that the association spends
between SAC, 900 and 100000 a year."
Questioned by the committee as to
his own business, Mr.. Kirby said he was
a lumber manufacturer and had about
$50, 000, 900 invested in the lumber bust
ness. He said he had never advocated
a tariff duty on lumber. His contribu-
ton to the Southern Tariff Association,
he said, had averaged about $4,000 a
year for the last 10 years.
Senators Question Kirby.
Senators Caraway, Walsh and Blaine
questioned Mr.. Kirby as to the rela-
tionship between the Southern Tariff
Association, the American Taxpayers
League and the National Council of
State Legislatures. Mr.. Kirby said that
he was president Of the Southern Tariff
Association and the Council of State
Legislatures and had been a contributor
to the Taxpayers League. He said Mr.
Arnold was manager of the Southern
Tariff Association and the Taxpayers
League and a voluntary "helper" for
the Council of State Legislatures.
The general purpose of the southern
Tariff Association, he explained, was to
urge a tariff on Southern agricultural
products, the Council of State LegiS-
opposed Federal inheritance
taxes and the American Taxpayers
League opposed a sales tax.
Senator Blaine and MI. Kirby clash
ed when the Wisconsin Senator asked
the witness to help him "unscramble"
IT, three organizations. Senator Blaine
accused the witness of trying to evade
his questions.
Approves EyansOn's Actions.
Mr.. Kirby, answering Senator Cara
way, denied that Mr.. Arnold was in
Washington for the purpose of inter-
viewing members of Congress and fix
ing up legislation" but, he said, some
good man" ought to assist members OF
Congress in this regard.
Mr.. Kirby said that he had ap-
proved the activities of c. L. Eyanson,
representative of the Connecticut Man
ufacturers' Association, who was en-
ployed as secretary by Senator Bingham
of Connecticut and in that capacity
gained admission to the Senate finance
committee during consideration Of the
tariff bill.