Show 0 va Z A national topics interpreted by william bruckart washington D C national press building washington washing ton much ado Is being made around washington again over lobbyists hobbyists it Is true lobb hobbyists lobbyists aist that there are now active arf me perhaps more lobby loahy ests in washington than at any time in ta the ie last fifteen years it Is true they are influencing legislation and I 1 think it can be said without fear of contradiction that lob are arc responsible for a portion of the balking tactics in congress existence of this unusual condition in washington carries more significance however than just the fact that special interests or individual interests are trying to protect themselves from froin a good many sources I 1 gather the opinion on that the condition means the presidents power has weakened it Is to be remembered that when then mr M r I 1 Kno 0 gosev sevelt el t car carried ri e d iii his s new deal into ln to tl the i W white h ite il house 0 ti se a and nd led tile the largest democratic majority ever to control the national legislative body that very fact thwarted lobbying very few of the so called special interests had the coura courage c to button hole individual v id 13 11 I 1 representatives or senators to plead their cause these representatives and senators were looking to white house leadership their fate rested on the new deal and they were unable accurately to gauge what public sentiment would be it if they openly disagreed n reed with will presidential orders in those days the corridors of the capitol and the house and senate office buildings were virtually deserted of petitioners petition ers for that is what a lobbyist Is to the extent that lobbyists hobbyists operated in the early days of the roosevelt administration they sought to influence presidential decision and the activities of the brain trust and underlings der lings who drafted the presidential programs once these programs had been submitted to congress the opp opposition to them largely subsided and members jumped to the crack of the presidential whip As stated above individual members were afraid to go I 1 against white house orders and lobby isis were afraid to combat the presidents popularity but a bear car ago various interests throughout the country began to sense a feeling that they could again talk with members of congress safely they began organizing their representations here as they formerly had bad enjoyed and little by little broadened the scope 0 if their activities ales A singular part about the present presen t condL condition tion Is the mushroom growth of the lobbyists hobbyists supplementing their growth has been an unusual fearlessness they ar are e busy pushing all kinds of causes good and bad some forces estimate there are close to five hundred different groups and organizations actively petitioning congress to do this or that according to their lights there are such gigantic lobbies lobbies as that of organized labor agriculture ri and the american legion there are lobbies for religious and racial groups the power interests at tile the moment bulk large with their lobbying activities individual lines of industry have their representatives here in numbers the railroads rall roads tor for example hae headquarters here for their association of american railroads and it I 1 13 also the headquarters for the short shor ts line railroad association the bankers maintain a legislative committee of the american bankers Can kers association liere here and even scientific groups have their people treading water in the halls of congress watching and waiting to be sure that nothing detrimental to their interests ests Is done by the legislators it will be recalled that leeral weeks ago mr roosevelt noo sevelt lot loose one of tile the bitterest messages he sees bees power has ever sent to con waning gross gress in denunciation of tile the activities 0 of the power lobby at that time tile the niclous character cliar acter of ills his accusations against the power interests was attributed by matty many observers to his intense feeling that public utility holding companies should be ile he felt feit that cliques of financiers were taking advantage of innocent investors and he wanted to tell tile the country about it IL now however hoever it develops that lie he was shooting not only at the power group but fit at all so called special interests which were seek socking ida to protect prote C t themselves from what they regarded as flagrant violations of property rights of the established business practices it must be said that fur for a few days the presidents message did have tile the effect of slowing down lobbying activities but the lobbyists hobbyists had t tasted I 1 sted of their own power they are not to be by any presidential attack nor by the threat of senator black of alabama to force through legislation compelling lobbyists hobbyists in washington to register As a matter of cold fact it Is my conviction that senator black will find himself thoroughly circumvented in any moie male lie may make to press for action on what Is generally regarded as a ridiculous piece of legislation it Is a thirty bear earold ear old proposal anyway it fill all goes to show that at least among those with will tile alie courage of their convictions president moosee 1 t 1 la 8 n not 0 t Is as powerful as he be was in the first year of ills reign balking tactics ta aties in con gress over the public works relief bill was but the outward sign a of co coura underneath I 1 have hare reported to mi heretofore that there were mutter tup and expressions of discontent witolo the presidents vast majority in i fit house hen u s e and arel senate while W lili e the t li e m balcan a 1 t tents t s a are not openly opeal y c criticizing rit i c izi r g it li president they are able to their purpose by delay and dig ment over what ordinarily would very minor details I 1 belleve believe it Is the consensus also 6 t t the activities of petitioners petition ers for tb hi rights are responsible rei to a large inte exta for the creation of numerous ill hi in congress it has been observed V b numerous publicists that it if there the danger of fascism in the united S stati it lies in this rise of blocs in con on the natural result Is to replace aai break up tie two old established par at 1 ties thus far in this session t there ere r lias aas been evidence time after if alme m e of 0 bloc activities one against another r this condition re results stilts in le legislate r trades not all of which result in good I 1 or even well written legislation I 1 when tile alie president came abro ng the biennial election last hist fall lall with willi nil 11 majorities increased there were those who insisted that lie he would have hise hla will with congress and no questions asked they did not reckon hO weyer i with the potential strength odthe w va rious interests watching congressional activities I 1 do not believe that a careful e analysis of the activities of most ij of these lobbyists hobbyists will show ampro improper relations between them and bemben mem to 1 of congress they are simply assert ing the right of en every cry individual namely t the privilege to tell his represent I active or senator what his opinion ii certainly there Is a growing feeling teelin that mr roosevelt loosevelt Koo sevelt gained little or nothing when he attacked the power 4 1 interests Elte rests and over their shoulder oil allt oth other er re representation on in washington 1 j now that president roosevelt Roose Nelt hao hai title to to spend pretty prelly much as he be pleas ses how will ji i it r the question Is heart heard be spent a around r 0 u n d washington WashIng tom more and more frell quent ly what Is he going to do wu it the truth Is that administration plans for utilizing this vast sun sum ol of money are so nebulous that no ono on can tell even the officials themselves yeA f to what ni hat uses it will be put one beahn about attacking the problem of sall MB erosion so that the destruction 11 r storms will occur no more and theral there Is talk of many public works project i when one tries to find out details of 0 i these however lio wever he Is promptly COB i treated fronted by a stone wall either of 0 tl of I 1 lence or of a f rank frank statement that 0 only it i the outlines have thus far beet been con COB I 1 sl si dered I 1 conversations over luncheon tablets tablet t in washington seem to indicate that i 1 actual spending of this money in my any c appreciable sum will not get under underway war I 1 for some months in fact there seems t to be ground for belief that of substantial character will take pigs i k in a spending way before next winter I 1 and lf if that Is true the comment til bests the great appropriation will in be 1 effective only in a political way betl at spring and summer it should be remembered that tt k amount voted the president in tilt tall one resolution which Is to be spent j practically at his direction Is greater it than the total expenditure of theft the tea of erat eral government for any year froni 1022 to 1931 I 1 with further references to lobbying if 1 activities it Is made to appear that ill two organizations tiOng L eff effective active have done an all esp ki lobbying cl dally a ay good job I 1 rt fer to the i of tile the american legion office in wasting to ington ton and its fight for the vetera veteran U bonus and the activity of the 14 agricultural and farm i who have been figh fighting tin oft off cert sin phases of railroad legislation kil tho the farmers according to the best t information I 1 can get tire are opposed oppose dt tn 14 I 1 f federal regulation of interstate bus aal truck business because they feel th t L proposed legislation will 11 hamper am per fara to market hauling I 1 suspect that tho I 1 bus and truck group have hare persuaded the farm representatives to oppose rg er ak inea measures for busses and trill on the basis of misunderstanding I 1 11 have ave ma made d e el numerous u ra berou S inquiries of begil let ik dative drafting experts and of house BOI and senate leaders respecting res pectin the point A at issue and all have assured me tr that the proposed federal regulation ollir vill 11 V 1 no way apply to farm to market 1110 it ing ki lf 1 I ali while the point made here is not dot J I 1 all important and when farm P v 10 tors of trucks understand it they wa i doubtless shy away from the they have taken it illustrates how w 00 attract many fa V organization will cot IN ers to iff w ranks who actually ons it be there W fal now ns as to the bonus proposition annl V ought to be said that the roosevelt bit 1 W well al ministration Is in a hole so tile the american legion done its job jo abit the W nt at there Is no doubt in my mind thi IS moment respect respecting ir tile the out conte W will be bonus le pasca t st W congress on gress at tills this session t S V IN pred pa I 1 V vetoed by will ivill be signed or 0 I 1 is roosevelt loosevelt too sevelt depends entirely upon ra ij nature of tile bill as it finally Is 1 so i i western newspaper News apor kiil t |