The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-14
GETTING DOWN TO WORK
The Trust Conference Opened in
Chicago.
STATING THE PROBLEM
Less Than Half of the Delegates at the
Opening Session Considerable Dis
order in Attempting to Round
Up the Outfit.

ton conference on the uses and abuses
| of trusts and combinations began here
! to-day with less than half the delegates
appointed by the various states in at
tendance. New York, headed by w.
| Bourke Cochran, and Wisconsin were
most numerously represented The
hall and was called to order by Frank
| lin Fl. Head, president of the Civic Fed
Grafton. The delegates listened to an
address of welcome to Illinois by Attor-
ney General Atkin on behalf of Cover
| nor Tanner who, by illness. was pre-
vented from appearing in person.
DR.. Howard S. Taylor, city prosecu-
tor. welcomed the delegates to Chicago
| on behalf of Mayor Harrison. With the
| progress of the speaking it became evil
| dent that many of the delegations had
! come with firm convictions for or
| against trade combinations. The speech
of Mr. Wooten of Texas, delivered this
| afternoon, hammering trusts in mer-
ciless manner. aroused the widest en-
! thusasm in the ranks of the labor rep
resentatives and the delegations from
many Western and Southern states,
! while the Fasteners generally smiled
| and kept their arms folded.
The attempt to round the somewhat
shapelass mass of delegates into work
| ing form resulted in considerable dis
| order. Suggestions for the makeup of
| committee TO arrange a programme
! for the conference came from every part
| or the house with such rapidity that the
| temporary chairman extracted with diff
| ficulty the basis for resolutions which
were finally adopted This was not ac-
complished until w. Bourke Cochran
| and August CAM, delegate represent
ing the knights of Labor, had become
| the center of a scene which provoked
| unrestrained laughter, Mr. Cochran
| joining. The head of the New York
! contingent. in an endeavor to bring
| little order out of chaos, arose while
| Mr.. Ganz in a very loud voice was de-
| claring that his delegation was of more
! importance than that of any state.
A Laugh on Cochran.
When the New Yorker began speak
| ing the. labor delegate fished from his
| hip pocket a pair Of opera glasses and
| at short range contemplated the speak
! er, commenting occasionally in such a
I way that the merriment attained vol
ume which drowned the voice of the
| Eastern orator. 1t was finally resolved
that the Civic Federation, through its
chairman, Mr.. Head. should conduct
| the meeting to-day and that commit
! tee on programme be appointed, con-
sisting of one man from each state del
egation and one from each organization
| in its scope.
John w Hayes of the knights of La
| Dor created something of a sensation
| by declaring that ''he did not intend to
| be classed with the New Jersey delega-
| ton, even If he did vote in that cradle
| of trusts"
The non-attendance of many dele
| gates was not unexpected, and Secre-
| tary Easley announced that probably
| hundred of the tardy ones, including
| Governor Pingree of Michigan, would be
| present at -morrow's session.
Among those present to-day were: w,
! Bourke Cochran, Albert Shaw of the
Review of, Reviews, Governor Atkinson
| of West Virginia, Ex-Governor Foster of
! Ohio. Professor John B. Clark of Co
lumbia university, Attorney General T.
| s. Smith of Texas. r. B. Thurber of
! New York. Professor Henry Carter
Adams of the University of Michigan,
| Professor j. w jerks of Cornell. Pro-
fessor John Graham Brooks of Cam
bridge, Mass, lecturer of political econ
| omy in the University Of Chicago; Pro-
fessor Bems, Lieutenant Governor
Jones of Ohio, Professor r. T, Ely of
the University of Wisconsin and Attor-
ney General Smythe of Nebraska.
William j. Bryan did not appear, but
it is believed he will be present later
| in the conference.
Chairman Head delivered an address
in explanation of the call of the confer
ence He said, in part:
"The Civic Federation of Chicago is a
non partisan organization. embra cling
in its membership a goodly proportion
| of the active business and professional
men of our city. Some months since it
| realized that no topic seemed so widely
| discussed as what was designated by
the general title of 'trusts'-and that,
too, upon no current topic was there so
widespread and general ignorance and
| confusion of ideas. There seemed TO us
a crying need for education upon the
subject; of an education which would
show the broad distinction between the
| various trade combinations and trusts
| and to promote such education this con-
| ference is now in session.
In Search of Truth.
"It is not a trust or an antitrust con-
| ference, but a conference in search of
| truth and light. With this end in view,
| the attendance has been solicited Of men
of every shade of opinion upon the gen
eraI subject, from the men who regard
trusts and trade combinations as the
| standing menace to our national pros
! perity and even to the perpetuity of our
| system of government to those who feel
! that trade combinations and large ag-
| gregations of active capital are simply
an active evolution in the development
OF our industrial and commercial life.
and that such aggregations are abso-
lutely necessary to compete with the
vast accumulations and experience. OF
the older nations and their almost to-
tai control outside of food products of
the markets of the world.
The very general response to our in
| vitations TO this conference from the
| governors of nearly all the states who
| have appointed as delegates their most
eminent citizens-from the great com
mercial bodies. the universities and the
| laborer, agriculture and other organi-
| cations which have sent their ablsst
men and most profound students of
| economic problems" "
Professor jerks followed with a paper
| under the caption PROBLEMS Before the
! Conference" His speech in part fol-
| lows
1T has been well said that the first