The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-04-17

washington, d. G.
STANDARD OIL LOBBY

| STANDARD O1L LO00x
Lobbying will always be practiced
in Washington. Recently, however
II has reached new heights. e
In the pre-New Deal days, lobby.
lists lobbied to get land grants, lunn-
Der concessions, and Teapot Dome
oil leases. Under the New Deal
they lobbied for Public Works con-
tracts, WPA grants, and steamship
routes. n
Today they lobby for war con-
tracts. But perhaps the most avid,
rapacious and lustful lobbying Is
for priorities on the purchase Of
materials.
In this connection, Standard Oil
has just managed to get q remark
able priority rating for the shipment
Of $14, SOC, 900 worth Of steel to Vene-
zuela. The story illustrates how a
job can be done II you have the
lobbyist to do it.
In this case Standard Oil is ably
represented by Washington attorney
John N. Bohannon, who knows his
way around, even to the White
House. s
What Standard wanted was steel
for its oil wells in Venezuela, and
it had the plausible argument that
1t must keep up Venezuelan oil pro-
duction for the American and Brit
ish navies. However, other Ameri-
can oil companies also wanted steel
for wells in Texas, Louisiana and
California. Also they had the adj
vantage of producing oil which does
not require a long and hazardous
tanker haul. However, they did not
have the advantage of an Al lobby
list. PKG 49,.
For Mr.. Bohannon went to Ad-
miral Stark, then chief of naval OPP
erations, and practically scared him
to death about the danger Of losing
Venezuelan oil. Stark called Donald
Nelson, boss Of War Production, and
put the pressure on him, Mean
while Bohannon and friends pres
sured the state department, lend
lase administration, board Of eco
nonic warfare and finally the White
House.
II there was anyone Standard Oil
forgot to high-pressure they were
sick in bed. So Standard Oil got
what it wanted, priority rating Of
Ale, higher than that Of domestic
oil companies, and the materials
have now been shipped.
LEWIS PAYROLL
The Washington Merry Go Round
wishes to correct an earlier state
ment that John L. Lewis had three
relatives on union payrolls whose
salaries, plus his own, gave the
family an annual ''take' Of $48, 800
from the collections Of union dues.
We regret to say that on further
investigation we find we erred griev-
ously. We apologize to Mr.. Lewis
for, Understanding his capacities
and print below the full Lewis FAM
lily payroll showing that the miner
car has not three but nine rela-
tives in cushy jobs and that the
family stake" is not $48,50O but
$70,50O:
John L. Lewis, president. United
Mine workers .................s 25. ooos
Kathryn Lewis, daughter. secre-
tary treasurer, District so.
UNIV. 1900
Denny Lewis, brother. head Of
organizing committee ......... 10000
J. r. Bell, brother-in-law. CLIO.
Grin Miller, brother-in-law. SUI
perintendent Of the UNIV. Of.
fee building in Indianapolis -. 5000
Dan Collins, brother In law,
CLIO. organizer ............... $500
william Thomas, cousin. super.
intendent UNIV. building In
washington .................. O.VUV
Margaret Lindis, sister-in-iaw Of
Denny, UNIV. stenographer 2.40O
Ann Miller, daughter Of brother.
in.law Grin Miller, UNIV.
stenographer ................ 2.400
son-in-iaw Of Floyd Ben. another
Lewis brother-in-law. District
50 organizer .................. $500
-
Total Lewis family payroll ..$7o.soo
(sIn addition to their big salaries,
Lewis, his daughter and brother also
have fat expense accounts. What
they spend is their secret. No fig
ures have ever been revealed, even
to union members.)
And Stin More.
Imposing as is this payroll list, II
still does not tell the whole story.
There is one Lewis relative who
il not on a union payroll but who
gamers high-bracket income from
unions controlled by John L. He
is brother-in-law Floyd Bell, an in
surance agent. Representative of
surety company, Bell has what
amounts to a monopoly on the BUSH
ness Of bonding all national. district
and local UNIV. officers and all
CLIO. officials.
His commissions are estimated at
$4,000 year.
This sum, plus the payroll listed
above, would bring the total take"
4 Of the Lewis family up to $110,500
year.