The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-07-02
AGAINST THE TRUSTS.
An Amendment Prepared and Soon
TO Be Reported.

Washington, July IAN antitrust
amendment to the tariff bill hns been
practically prepared and the rough draft
will probably be submitted to-day to the
judiciary committee, which has the mat
ter in charge. There has been no formal
meeting oil the committee as yet, but the
preparation of the amendment was placed
in the han rs of u sui committee consist
ing of Senators Davis, Thurston and Nell
son. They found the ground work already
laid OUT for them in the amendment
which Senator Nelson introduced some
DAYS ago This amendment related espe-
cially to the sugar trust, but the commit
tee has decided to broaden it's application
so That it will include all combinations.
It's gist is as follows:
"Every person, firm, or corporation,
who shall monopoiiZe or engross, or who
shall combine or conspire with any other
pe rson, firm, or corporation to nonopo
lie or engross, the trade or commerce in
any article affected ty the tariff bill
among the several States or with foreign
nations, for the purpose of unduly en-
HANGING the price of such article, shall be
deemed guilty of u misdemeanor, and on
conviction thereof shall be punished by N
fine of not less than $500 nor more than
$4,000, and by imprisonment ut hard
labor not less thar six months nor more
than two years. And in case of corpo
ration found guilty of said otfense, the
Jury shall also ascertain and find what
officers of the cooperation caused or
directed the corporation to commit such an
offense, and such officers, on being found
guilty of causing o, directing the corpo
ration to commit the otfense of which it's
is found guilty, shall be liable to the pun
ishment aforesaid.
T., ALI
be required to settle the verbiage of the
amendment to be incorporated in the
bill, there being n radical element among
the Republicans which desires really
effective legislation. The majority of
the Republicans, however, will be quite
content with anything that will pass
muster as being directed at the trusts,
without regard to it's standing in the
courts. This will be, in fact, the charac-
ter of the Legislation finally enacted.
There will be nothing radical and MOTH
ing that will interfere with the collection
of revenue, the loss of which would be
deemed of far more importance than any
victory gained over n trust
There is considerable concern mani
tested over the probable lack of revenue
for the first year that tie new law will be
in operation.
1t has been practically decided to strike
out all the money raising internal reve-
nue. features Of the bill, so that the re-
ceipts estimated from increased beer and
tobacco taxes will have to be elimir atetl
from consideration. This means n loss
of some $40, 600, 600 to S15,000,000, and il
the duty on tea is also stricken out, as 1t
is said it will be, some S13,0O0,000 more
will have to be subtracted. Just what
will he put in place of these money.
raisers is yet an open question. A prom
inent member of the finance committee
said yesterday that as the bill now stood
it was impossible to expect sufficient rev
enue from it during the first year of its
operation.