Evening star., 1938-07-21
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

By JOHN C. HENRY.
High-pressure practices of infiuenc.
ing editorial and public opinion were
unraveled before the Senate Civil Lib.
critics Committee today through testi.
mony and correspondence of oficial,
OF the public relations firm Of Hill &
Knowlton, Cleveland.
The flrm was employed over q
period Of years by the American Iron
& Steel Institute, the National Asso.
citation Of Manufacturers, Republic
Steel Corp. and the Youngstown Sheet
g. Tube Co., one of the features of 1t.
service being the writing and counsel
OF George Sokolsky.
According to numerous exhibits in
troduced today, Mr.. Sokolsky, q news
paper columnist and magazine writer
who is widely quoted as an authority
on labor problems, received nearly
$4,000 in fees and expenses through
Hill d Knowlton. Included in this
sum were six payments of 1900 per
month from the N. A. M. through Hill
q Knowlton.
Neil Carothers, professor of eco-
nomics at Lehigh University and fire.
quently radio commentator |on in
dustrial matters, also was listed among
those serving the firm.
Ads TN 375 Papers.
John w. Hill and Donald s. Knowl-
ton, heads Of the firm. were on the
stand as this picture was being de-
veloped.
One of the firms biggest Jobs was
the preparation and placing of the
full-page advertisement of the Iron
and Steel Institute in July, 1896, DEFY
ing the Committee for Industrial or.
ganization. The ad, placed in 376
papers, cost $314.000 and was accom-
panied by q similar news release sent
to q great many other papers.
The firm also obtained q contract
from the Greater Akron Association
Tor an educational campaign, one
feature Of which was the circulation
Of . booklet entitled. Facts About
Akron"
In . letter to the association. s, H
paiymple, head Of the United Rubber
Workers, wrote: Your booklet reveals
bias on the part Of your asso-
ciation in the interest Of the en-
ployers and against the interest of
the workers to such an extent that it
Is astounding.
Booklet Scored.
The proclaimed purpose Of your
institution as an impartial organiza.
ton Is revealed as hollow mockery."
Among others, the booklet was circu-
lated among school teachers Of Akron.
It was shown.
Chairman La Toilette read excerpts
from = letter written by Mr.. Hill to
the Greater Akron Association. sup-
costing the education" campaign.
After outlining basic points Of the
program, Mr.. Hill wrote:
IN addition, George sokolsky should
work with Hill and Knowlton in sup-
gestlng ways and means of procedure
and In writing speeches, statements
and other material. Mr.. Sokolskv
would also make occasional visits In
AKRON tor consultation and review.
$z5,o0e Annual Fee,
Probably the most important of All
methods would be newspaper publicity
-that u, news stories and editorials
IN the newspapers. To do this, we
should enlist the active support and
cooperation Of the editors and we
would also have to produce events or
circumstances which would give r,se to
news"
Hill and Knowltons fee would be
e2s ZOO annually, With Mr., sokolsky's
expenses to be among the added
costs.
Subsequent questioning of Mr.. Hill
brought out that the public relations
hrm after the little steel" strike Of
1887 entered into contracts with
numerous other companies such rs
Bethlehem, Inland and National Steel,
and the American Rolling Mill Co.,
all prominent in fighting the c. I. o.
1nitially the fee from each of these
for a blanket labor relations service
was 81 500 per month, but this has
been reduced, Mr.. Hill testified.
Republic and Youngstown also SUBJ
scribed to this service, but since it was
initiated, youngstown and American
Rolling Mil have dropped it.
Labor Policy Shown.
The Republic Steel Corps attitude
toward the Wagner Labor Relations
Act was made a matter Of record late
yesterday when Rufus j. Wysor, Re-
public president, read . prepared
statement calling for amendment to
the law and citing the unprecedented
wave Of strikes, seizure Of plants and
the breakdown OF law enforcement
that have come about under the reign
Of the Wagner Act and of the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board"
For three days the committee had
heard testimony about the breakdown
Of law enforcement, featured prin-
cipally by the shooting and gassing
Of Canton, Ohio, residents by Republic
Steel guards. The record for less than
\ week during a strike in a Republic
showed one death result
Ing from wounding by q tear gas
shell and more than q score Of cases
for treatment Of buckshot
wounds and gas poisoning.
Blame Placed on Republic.
In each case for which testimony
vas given blame was placed on Re-
public guards and In all cases Re-
public assumed responsibility to the
extent Of paying damage claims. Most
Of the victims, including one woman,
were neither strikers nor employees Of
Republic.
Prior to Mr.. wysor's appearance yes
eerday, most Of the days testimony
had concerned formation Of a Citi-
1ens' Committee in Canton, its con-
nection with the steel company being
traced through services Of q company
attorney in connection with the COM
mittee. The committee chairman was
reported to be z real estate dealer who
headed = development corporation
which had been receiving an imnortant