Evening star., 1935-08-25
UTILITY LOBBY QUIZ
IS FAR FROM OVER
Both House and Senate In
vestigators to Press
Hunt for Facts.
BY JAMES E. CHM.

Despite Impending duJouIIllIleIII Va
Congress, the exhaustive inveStiga-
tions of lobbying against the Wheeler
Rayburn holding company bill, under
taken independently by committees OF
the Senate and House. will be con-
tinued far into the Fall.
Senator Black, Democrat, of Ala
bama and Representative O'Connor,
Democrat, Of New York, chairmen.
respectively, of the Senate and House
Lobby Committees, announced last
night that the two inquiries would
not be relaxed until all possible in
formation relating to the efforts of
the utilities interests to defeat the bill
had been uncovered.
Neither committee, however, has
made definite plans for resumption Of
public hearings, Black indicated there
is a probability his committee will
swing into action for several days next
week, but O'Connor said he had been
too busy with the Rules Committee,
which he heads, to map out definite
program
Probers to Keep Busy.
OCLldlOl 4ldSh RO4llVCN OuO eALuV SNNhA
though hearings may not be held by
his committee for several weeks, spe-
cial Investigators would continue to
dig up information to form the
foundation for future public hearings.
C'Connor, on the other hand, plans to
assign various phases of the investiga-
ton to four special subcommitteeS.
AS soon as Blacks committee re-
sumes its hearings it will concentrate
on the activities of the Cities Service
Co. in fighting the utilities bill Evil
dence already has been given the
committee that 100000 was spent by
this giant holding company and its
subsidiaries in stimulating protests
against the measure, but committee
been greater.
Blacks investigators now are max
ing a careful examination of the
voluminous records of Cities Service
and, as soon as they finish, the COM
mittee will resume its investigation
into this companys lobbying activities
as we'll as those Of its numerous sub
sidiaries.
The Senate committee has virtually
completed its inquiry into the fight Of
Associated Gas & Electric Co. against
the bill, although the two principa
witnesses, Howard C. Hopson, its re-
puted dictator, and Bernard B. Rob.
1nson, Chicago securities salesman
who was engaged by that corporation
to lobby against the utilities bill, have
not been discharged as witnesses.
Hopson Still on Spot.
The House committee, however, has
a few more questions to ask Hopson
1t has requested him for detailed re-
port as to his income since he has
been connected with the Associated
Gas & Electric Co. and the names OF
various banks which lent that con-
Germ S1,0Oo,oO0 with which to fight
the utilities bill. When this data is
furnished Hopson will be recalled to
the witness stand.
The House committee also has
asked Hopson for complete report
showing the expenses of the Associ-
ated's campaign against the utilities
bill, giving a detailed account of all
items and the names of persons who
were compensated.
The Senate committee has not yet
definitely decided whether to call
Marvin H. Mcintyre, one of Presi-
dent Roosevelt's secretaries, who has
twice been reported in company with
Robinson. Senator Gibson, Repub-
lican, Of Vermont has branded Robin
son as social lobbyist"
Robinson told the Senate commit
tee the other day that Mcintyre was
a guest at cocktail party he gave at
the "F Street Club" and had also
stopped in his apartment at the Shore
ham Hotel several weeks ago, when
Senate Sergeant at Arms Jurney was
searching for Hopson.
His Presence Demanded.
Senator Gibson has demanded
McIntyre's presence before the COM
mittee.
Mcintyre, however, is not the only
whose name has been drawn out in
the two lobby Investigations.
The Senate committee was told Fri
day that Raymond Moley, the Presi-
dents former mo. brain truster" at
tended luncheon in New York last
week at which representatives of vari-
GUS shipping interests discussed the re-
vised Copeland ship-subsidy bill. Moley
has been quoted as saying, What
Of it?"
The name of Assistant Secretary Of
Treasury L. w. Chip" Robert also
has been brought into the inquiry and
Robinson has testified that this official
had attended several OF. the parties he
lavished on Government authorities
while he was in Washington lobbying
against the utilities bill.