The Ypsilanti daily press., 1946-04-06

Investigation May
be Concerned With
Many Lobbies

Congress-or. rather. the House
lis talking Of investigating lob
bies.
Rep. SABBATH. Illinois Democrat
who has served 40 years in the
House, says the "evil" of lobbying
is greater now than any time in his
memory.
He has offered a resolution pro-
posing that an investigation be
started. other representatives are
pushing for 1t.
But what is a lobby?
A lobby can be anything from
an individual TO an organized group
whose purpose is to influence
legislation.
Is this in itself badf No.
You, as an individual. have
right to make known TO your repre-
sentative or senator your views
for or against something pending
in Congress.
When you do that, you are a lob
by, although only a one-man lobby.
Organized groups are, in effect,
lobbying when they send repre-
sentatives up to Congress to testi-
fy before committees for or against
something.
This in itself can be good ana
necessary.
Through a lobby a minority group
and every lobby represents q
minority in this country-is able
to make its views known ana
heard.
In this way Il tries TO protect its
interests and keep from being ig-
nored or trampled on.
But there are degrees and kinds
OF lobbying. For instance:
/. Picketlng the Capitol with
signs declaring the interests or
wishes OF the picketers and the
group they represent. -.
.. Deluging congressman with
mail or kilograms signed BY the
organization, or its individual mem
bers, or its members and their
friends, all intended to show the
number Of people for or against
something.
8. Groups visiting individual
congreRsmen to make known their
support or antagonism for some
piece Of legislation.
4. By propaganda spread nation
wide TO convince-or deceive-the
uniformed public and. by arousing
public opinion, get what the group
wants or doesn't want.
s. By social contact: arranging
parties for congressman and try
ing to influence them.
6. Threats-in one form or an
other-that tSe congressman had
better do this or that or he won't
be reelected.
Thus there two kinds Of Hobbies;
/. The kind which honestly and
simply tries TO make its interests
known and in that way protect
them.
2. The kind which, selflshly and
unscrupulously, tried to pressure
Congress for It's own interests,
even though II means deceiving the
rest OF the country or hurting the
general welfare.
SABBATH says he's aiming at the
powerful well-organized and we'll
financed Hobbies operating In Wash
ington now"
In the Washington telephone
book, he says, are IA solid columns
under the heading associations.
Not all, but most. OF these listings
are, In plain words, lobbyists. And
that does not represent all OF
them"
But Rep. Gross sees II different
". q Pennsylvania Republican
who's been in Congress since 1912,
says:
"The worst and most persistent
lobbying comes from the various
bureaus within the government In
their effort TO perpetuate them
selves.
He says, among other things:
/. Postmaster Hannegan. tRe
Democratic committee chairman,
recently sent kilograms TO House
Democrats warning them -
TO vote right" on certain piece
OF legislation.
2. When bureau and department
heads testify before congressional
committees they're accompanied by
batteries OF experts" whose "one
objective is TO expand.
(Because they may not be able
TO answer all the questions asked
by congressman. department heads
usually bring along specialists who
are supposed to know all the
answers.)
There have been a number OF
proposals in recent years 10 Invest
igate Hobbies but they got nowhere.
Maybe this one won't either.