| Show j 4 f fA 0 A Afir fir j t National Topics interpreted i by William Bruckart National Press Frees Building Washington D D. D C. C r i i Much Washington Much uc ado Is being l t made around Washington again i over oyer lobbyists It Lobbyists is true that there Active are now perhaps more lobbyists In Washington than at any time In the thelast last fifteen years ears It Is true they are Influencing legislation and I think It can be said without fear of or contradiction that lobbyists are re responsible responsible responsible re- re for tor a portion of or the balkIng balking balk- balk Ing lug tactics In congress Existence of ot this unusual corn condition condition condi condi- l tion In Washington carries more significance however than Just the fact that special Interests or Individual individual Indi indi- vidual Interests are trying to protect protect protect pro pro- themselves From a n good many sources I gather the opinion that the condition means the Presidents President's power has weakened It Is to be remembered that when Mr Roosevelt carried his New Deal Into the White House and led the largest Democratic ma majorIty majority major major- jor- jor ity ever to control the national legislative legislative leg leg- body that very fact thwarted thwart thwart- ed lobbying Very few of or the s so- so called special Interests had the courage to button hole Individual representatives or senators to plead their cause These representatives representatives representatives and senators were looking lookIng looking look- look Ing to White House leadership their fate rested on the New Deal and they were unable accurately to gauge what public sentiment would be If It they openly disagreed with Presidential orders In those days the corridors of or the Capitol and the house and senate office buildings were virtually deserted of ot petitioners petition petition- ers for ers for that Is what a lobbyist Is To the extent that lobbyists operated operated operated oper oper- In the early days of the Roosevelt administration they sought to Influence Presidential decision decIsIon decision de de- and the activities of ot the brain trust and underlings who drafted the Presidential programs Once these programs had been submitted to congress the opposition to them largely subsided and members Jumped to the crack rack of or the Presidential Presidential Presidential whip As stated above IndIvidual Individual individual Indi IndI- vidual members were afraid to go against White House orders and I lobbyists were afraid to combat the Presidents President's popularity But a year ago various Interests throughout the country began to sense a feeling that they could again talk with members of ot congress congress congress con con- gress safely They began organizing ing lag their representations here as they formerly bad had enjoyed and UttIe little little lit Ut- tle tIe by little broadened the scope of of their activities A singular part about the present condition Is the mushroom growth of or the lobbyists Supplementing their growth has been an unusual fearlessness They are busy pushing all aU kinds of causes good and bad Some forces estimate there are arc close to five hundred different groups and organizations actively petitioning congress to do this or that according to their lights There are arc such gigantic lobbies as that of ot organized labor agriculture and the American Legion There are lobbIes lobbies lob lob- bies bles for religious and racial groups The power Interests at the moment bulk large with their lobbying ac ac- ac- ac Individual lines of ot Industry Industry Industry Indus Indus- try have their representatives here hereIn hereIn herein In numbers The railroads for example example example ex ex- ex- ex ample have headquarters here for their Association of American Railroads Railroads Rail Rail- roads and It Is also the headquarters for the Railroad as as- The bankers maintain a legislative committee of ot the American Amerlean Amer Amer- lean ican Bankers' Bankers association here and ando o even scientific groups have their people treading water In the halls balls of t congress watching and waiting to be sure that nothing detrimental 4 to their Interests Is done by the legislators j It will be recalled that several weeks ago Mr r. r Roosevelt let loose one of or the bItter bItter- Sees Power est messages he Waning has e ever er sent t to congress In denuncIation denunciation de de- de- de of the activities of ot the power lobby At that time the vicious vicious vi vl- cious clous character of or his accusations a against the power Interests was attributed attributed attributed at at- by many observers to his Intense feeling that public utility holding companies should be abol abol- shed He felt that cliques of ot financiers finan titian ciers were taking advantage of In Innocent innocent In- In Docent Investors and he wanted to tell the country about It Now however It develops that he het t was shooting not only at the power group but at all so-called so special Interests In In- Interests which were seeking to protect protect pro pro- teet themselves from what they regarded re re- as flagrant violations of t property rights of the established business practices It must he be said that for tor a few tew days the Presidents President's message did have the effect of or slowing slowing slowing slow slow- ing down lobbying activities but the lobbyists had tasted of their own power They were not to be frightened by any finy Presidential attack attack attack at at- tack nor by the threat of ot Senator Black of ot Alabama to force through legislation compelling lobbyists In Washington to register As a R matter matter matter mat mat- ter of cold fact tact It Is my conviction 5 r that Senator Black mack will find himself thoroughly circumvented In any move moe he be may make to press for action action ac ac- tion Uon on what Is generally regarded as ns a ridiculous piece of ot legisla tion It Is a year thirty proposal proposal proposal pro pro- anyway anway It all aU goes to show that at least among those with the courage of ot their convictions President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt Is not as powerful as he was waa In n the first year of ot his reign BalkIn Balking Balk- Balk In ing ng tactics In congress over the public works relief bill was but the outward sign of courage under under- neath I r have reported to you heretofore that there were mutterIngs mutterings mutter- mutter Ings and expressions of ot discontent within the Presidents President's vast majorIty majority major- major Ity ty In the house and senate While the malcontents are arc not openly criticizing the e President they are able to accomplish their purpose by delay and disagreement over Ofer what ordinarily would be very minor de- de tails alls I believe It Is the consensus also that hat the activities of petitioners tor lor their heir rights are responsible to a n i large arge extent for the creation of numerous blocs In congress It has las been observed by numerous I publicists that If It there Is danger danger dan- dan ger jer of Fascism In the United states It lies In this rise of or blocs In n congress The natural result Is Iso Isto isto to o replace and break brenk up the two old established parties Thus far farIn farin farn I In n this session there there has been evIdence evidence evI- evI dence lence time after time of bloc activities ac- ac one against another This condition results In legislative trades rades not all of ot which result In good or even written well-written legisla- legisla tIon lon w Now ow that President Roosevelt has hns' title to to spend pretty much as he How Will It pleases the ques- ques Be Spent t Ion i o n Is h heard ear d around Washington Washing- Washing ton on more and more frequently what Is s he going to do with It The truth ruth Is that administration plans for or utilizing this vast sum of ot money are so nebulous that no one can canell cantell cantell tell ell even the officials themselves ves to o what uses it will be put One hears about attacking the problem of ot soil erosion so that the destruction tIon lon by dust storms will o occur eur no nomore nomore I more and there Is talk of many public works projects When one trIes rles to find out details of ot these however he Is promptly confronted confront confront- ed by a stone wall either of ot sIlence silence sI- sI lence ence or of ot a frank statement that only t the tiie outlines have bave thus far been considered Con over luncheon tables tables ta ta- ta- ta bles In Washington seem to indicate Indi indi- Indicate cate actual spending of ot this money It ill any appreciable sum will not get under way for forborne so e months In n fact there seems to be ground for belies that nothing of ot substantial character ter will take place In a spending way before next winter And If It that Is true the comment suggests the great appropriation will be eIT effective only In a political way next spring and summer It should be remembered that the amount voted the President In this one resolution which Is to be spent practically at his direction Is greater great great- er than the total expenditure of the federal government for any year from 1022 1922 to 1931 1031 S With further references to lobbyIng lobbyIng lobbying lobby- lobby Ing activities It Is made to appear that two Effective have hafe done Lobbying an nn especially good Job I refer to the operations of or the American Legion Legion Legion Le Le- Le- Le gion office In Washington and Its fight for the veterans' veterans bonus and the activity of the various agricultural agricultural agricultural tural and farm Carm organizations who have been fighting off orr certain phases of ot railroad legislation The farmers according to the best Information I can get are opposed opposed opposed op op- posed to federal regulation of Interstate Interstate interstate In In- bus and truck business because because because be be- cause they feel the proposed legislation legislation legislation legis legis- lation will hamper market farm hauling I suspect that the bus and antl truck group have persuaded the farm representatives to oppose regulatory regulatory regulatory reg reg- measures for busses and trucks on the basis of ot standing I r have made numerous Inquiries of legislative drafting experts experts experts ex ex- and of or house and senate leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers respecting the point at Issue and all aU have assured me that the tho proposed federal regulation will In Inno Inno Inno no way apply to to market hauling While the point made here Is not at all Important and when farm operators of or trucks understand It they will doubtless shy away from the position they have taken It Il Illustrates U- U how one organization will attract many followers to Its ranks who actually ought not be there Now ow as to the bonus proposition It to be said that the ought Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt administration is In a hole So Sowell Sowell I well has the American Legion done Its Job that there Is no doubt In my mind at the moment respecting tho the outcome There will be bonus legislation legislation leg leg- passed by congress at this session Whether It will be signed or vetoed by President Roosevelt depends entirely upon the nature of ot the bill as It finally Is passed O. 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