Evening star., 1933-02-12
WITNESSES EAGER
IN SLUMP SURVEY
Harrison's Committee Seems
Most Popular Known in
Recent Years.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Senator Harrison's Survey Committee
seems to have become about the only
popular congressional committee In re-
cent years.
Instead of timidly shrinking from the
idea of teStifying before a senatorial
group when called, there are people
who actually want to come here and
unbosom themselves on everything re-
lated to the depression and the general
economic situation.
Then there are Senators and men,
bers of the House who have friends
they think are qualified to tell the
Senate Committee what ought to be
done to help business get better. The
list has grown to nearly 200 from the
original SO.
just when the Senate Committee will
be able to hear all the witnesses Is hard
to say, for the group already invited
could hardly discuss all they have In
mind and get through by March 4
There is some talk of carrying on the
hearings after the present session ad-
Journs and before the extra session be-
gins Authority to do this would have
to be gotten from the present Con-
gress. d, =
Some leaders of business and finance
VINO are coming down here are inuuir-
ing as to what the Senate Committee
really wants to know. Most Of the
active men in business feel today that
commence needs to be restored and
that fear OF imitation has been ma
Jcr influence in increasing boarding
Whether any of them will criticize con-
gressional behavior in this or any other
respects is very doubtful.
Many Will Decline.
Many of those invited will probably
not testify. The call is not a SUBPOENA
but an invitation, and hence can be
oecnned without danger of offending
anybody. Already men like Owen D.
Young and George Horace Lorimer have
deemed. Mr.. Young IS believed to be
actlng as an adviser to the new ad-
ministration and probably reasons that
ne can be more effective without pub
licity. Mr.. Lorimer wrote the commits
tee that he had written about all the
ideas he had on economic affairs in
editorials for the Saturday Evening
Post and that whatever new thoughts
came to him were appearing currently
IN this periodical. ~
The committee doubtless win receive,
however, from the majority Of those
who testify some concrete suggestions
that are likely to be helpful to the new
administration. There win be extensive
discussion OF credit problems and it
would not be surprising il the war debt
issue were emphasized by those who
favor revision of the existing settle
ments
Senator Harrison, who is to preside
over the special committee, is anxious
to become familiar with the views of
business men generally, because he Is
expected to be chairman of the. Senate
Finance Committee in the new Con-
gress, where much of the important
legislation relating to business will be
considered.
Party Lines Ignored.
No partisan distinction has been
made in issuing the invitations, Repub-
licans as well as Democrats being called
to give the committee the benefit of
their judgment. 1t Is expected that
some OF those invited will desire to
write their views, and these, OF course,
VIII be welcomed by the Committee.
This is not the first time the subject
has been canvassed, as Senator La Fol-
lette held hearings on his bil for eco
nomi cplanning and interrogated the
business men and bankers more than a
year ago. 1t will be interesting to COM
pare the La Toilette hearings with the
testimony from business men now that
the depression has become prolonged
and the unsolved problems have In
creased