Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-07-18

On the one nanQ, therefore, the
Roosevelt administration has run up
the public debt by about $8,O00,000,000
but has succeeded In actually reducing
the carrying charge Of this great debt
structure by more than $100,O00,O00 per
year. That is the situation as of
today. Restoration of business activity
and the resultant demand for capital
may change the market for treasury
bonds almost overnight but the pros
poets for such business activity are not
immediate.
One Of the interesting things that
often occurs in government affairs Is
the explosive effect
St0TtS Of q single incident
Something or single remark
by an important Of
fetal. It Is characteristic Of chang
ing conditions and 1t is a circumstance
which causes Washington observers to
be on their toes continuously be-
cause they never can tell when such
an incident will occur. Thus 1t was
the other day that Representative
Brewster, Republican. Of Maine, for
mer governor of that state, arose In
his place in the house Of representa-
tives and charged that the Roosevelt
administration was threatening indi-
vidual members Of the house who de-
clined to support the administration
view on a particular piece of legisla.
ton. Mr.. Brewster named one Thomas
Corcoran as the administration ennis
sary and bearer of the threats. He told
of details of the circumstance and In
formed the house that the legislation
which the administration demanded he
should support was the so-called death
sentence" provision in the bill to elimi-
nate utility holding companies. Suf-
fee it to say that Mr.. Brewster did not
yield.
The point Of this incident, however,
is that Immediately there came from
many quarters in the house demand
for an investigation Of lobbying activi-
ties. There had been many charges
heretofore that the public utility cor
porations were over-running the house
with lobbyists in their effort to defeat
the death sentence" section. The real
reason back of this sudden outburst,
however, lies in dissatisfaction among
many members of congress with tactics
employed by the Roosevelt adminfstra-
ton. They have taken orders con-
stantly since March 4, 1888, but ap-
parently they are no longer going to
| obey.
So the investigation of lobbying Is to
be started by a house committee and
1t will be broader than just the public
utility lobbyist. If the undereurrent
of information proves to be correct,
administration representatives who
have frequented the house chambers
during consideration Of the holding
company bill will be placed on the
witness stand to tell their story.
In the meantime and maybe as re-
suit Of the excitement over the Brew
ster charge, Senator
Look Into Black, an Alabama
Lobbying Democrat, started
fireworks in the SEN
ate. He is prepared to create investi-
eating machinery in that end Of the
Capitol to determine what influence
the utility lobbyists have exerted.
That investigation also will 60 beyond
the utility lobbyist phase. 1t is sched-
uied to dig up dirt on lobbyists for
other legislation. Thus far there has
been little mention Of administration
activities around the senate.
But, as In the case of the house In
vestigation, 1t appears now that the
senate investigation has a double pur-
pose. 1t will be recalled that, Senator
Black fostered a bill requiring all
lobbyists in Washington to register at
the Capitol, to show their connection,
to show what salaries or other COM
pensation they receive and to make
public certain types Of correspondence
passing between them and the people
whom they represent The gossip Is
that the senator's bill, although 1t
passed the senate without difficulty,
will have hard shedding in the house.
Senator Black appears to be proceed
ing on the theory that the investiga-
ton will create additional atmosphere
and public demand for passage of the
lobbyist registration measure.
Actually, I believe that the investi-
cation will do no more than ruin repu-
tations Of some few people. Such an
inquiry will not stop lobbying. 1t will
not even curb or reduce lobbying. As
long as individuals have property the
value of which may be affected one
way or the other by federal legislation,
just so long will individuals seek to
influence their representatives and SEN
ators In congress. 1t seems to me to
be a perfectly natural and normal
thing, and without defending the Shiny
type Of lobbying and the raw or crook
ed deals that may come from lobbying,
the voters have a right to express their
views to their representatives.
The irony Of the present situation
Ia that undoubtedly there will no M