Evening star., 1950-03-24
Lobby Investigation
To Plug LoophoIes in
Law Opens Monday

The House committee investiga-
ton of lobbying will get off to a
psychological" start Monday by
exploring factors that form public
opinion. which, in turn, influences
members of Congress in making
laws, members said today.
DR.. Hadiey Cantril, Princeton
University psychology professor
and head of the Office of Public
Opinion Research there, will open
the hearings by discussing meth
DDS and motives that sometimes
develop public opinion and pres
sureS.
The second witness Monday will
be DR.. Stephen Kemp Bailey, a
legislative research expert, who
will tell of lobbying that went on
for and against full-employment
measures in the 10th Congress.
race, warren to Testify.
The Tuesday schedule of wit
nesses includes DR.. Edgar Lane of
Princeton. who will describe previ-
Gus Congressional Investigations
of lobbying activities; DR.. Belle
Zeller of Brooklyn College, who
will explain State lobbying laws;
DR.. George B. Galloway of the
Library of Congress, who was
prominent in preparation of the
1916 lobbying regulations, and DR..
w. Brooke Graves, who will report
on operation of that law.
Budget Director Frank Pace and
Controller General Lindsay C.
Warren will testify Thursday.
Committee Chairman Bucha-
nan, Democrat. of Pennsylvania
said at a National Press Club
luncheon yesterday the hearings
Will continue for several weeks
and will cover both sides of the
street"
There will be no whitewashing
OF Government agency lobbies and
no crack-downs on anti-adminis-
tration lobbyists, he promised.
But the committee, he disclosed,
has no present plans to look into
lobbying activities by labor unions.
He said such an investigation
would "engulf" the committee by
leading into too many side issues
Of labor-management relations.
Would Close LoophoIes.
Mr.. Buchanan explained that
the special seven-member House
committee especially wants to
close loopholeS or clear away am
biguities in the twilight zone" of
the present provisions for regis
tration of lobbyists and regula-
ton of lobbying activities.
1T has been impossible to tell
now much is spent for lobbying
Of all kinds" he said. "Only the
top of the iceberg shows. 1t has
been estimated that business, pro-
fessional and welfare groups spent
s8.5 million last year, and labor
groups another 100000 for direct
lobbying activities"
Mr.. Buchanan added that only
about one-third of the groups
actually engaged in lobbying are
registered as lobbyists, and only
about one-fifth of the total of
individuals.
Legitimate Lobbying Essential"
That does not mean all the
others are violating the present
law or that lobbying should be
outlawed, he indicated. Legiti-
mate lobbying is essential" as a
means of informing Congress, the
press and public opinion in gen.
eral, he said.
. But the regulations provided
by the 1946 Administrative Re-
organization Act need strengthen
ing and clarifcation, if only be-
cause only 1000 lobbyists have
registered under it. he contended.
The chairman did not list spe-
c1f1c organizations, interests or
individuals that probably will be
investigated. But he announced
that the hearings will look into
at least q "area groups"
The investigation, he predicted,
will be the first comprehensive one
OF its kind Congress ever has had.