El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-17
VICIOUS ANTI
TRUST BILL
Introduced In the State Sen :
ate At Austin

Int1 OuuCcU Ill tiiC StotO SOii =
ate At Austin
Ia VERY STRONG PROTEST
Will Be Made Against the Proposed
lava Mass Meeting Called In
This City For Tomorrow Night At
the Court HOuse.-The Law Would
Drive Insurance Companies Out Of
the State,
The new antitrust bill which was
introduced in the Texas legislat on
the 14th inst, by Senators Davidson,
Morriss, and Miller, is almost Identical
with that of the Arkansas anti trust
act which has proved so detrimental to
many Interests in that state. 1t has
affected business of every description
| and its purposes are mainly directed
against insurance companies doing
business in the state. The condition
in Arkansas will apply in measure to
Texas, and the results will be equally
as disastrous.
Not only will the insurance compa-
MES suffer. but business of every de-
scription. You will not be able to buy
a Stetson hat or q Hanan shoe, where
goods are sold at fixed price, because
the law will affect these industries to
the extent that q merchant will not
be able to insure the goods bought
| from trust. The chewing gum girl
| will be forced to give up habit so
| long cherished. because the gum is
| handled by trust. Labor organiza-
| tions which are for mutual protection
will virtually have to step down and
| out if the new measure becomes law.
MASS MEETING CALLED
The bill has aroused great deal OF
Indignation among our merchants and
a mass meeting has been called for
tomorrow evening, at the court house,
| to discuss the measure as Introduced
into the senate at Austin. and see what
action can be taken. A petition protest.
ing against the bill will in all proba-
| bility be drawn up signed by the lead
ing merchants, insurance agents, law
yers and citizens generally and for
| warded to the legislature.
A telegram was sent this morning to
Senator w. W. Turney and Represent
| ative Bridgers telling both to "work
to delay matters until interests affect
ed can be thoroughly discussed"
H. r Wood il speaking OF the bill to
| 8 HERALD man, said ''that while every
| business house handling goods made by
any of the trusts would suffer, still the
insurance companies would be the
greatest losers. They would undoubt-
edly leave the state as their business
| would be pra actically ruined"
A. P. Coles in expressing his opinion
said: ...-
"The law would undoubtedly drive
every reliable insurance company out
of the state just as it has don in Arkan-
sas. 1t would be simply ruinous to in
surance, and furthermore it would
break up labor organizations, such as
railroad unions, etc.
There was merchant from Little
Rock, Arkansas, in my office few
days ago, who was q large holder OF
real-estate in Eureka. When the law
went into effect he received notice
from all the companies in which his
property was insured that his policies
had been cancelled. We may expect
just such q state of affairs here if the
bill becomes law"
! A. M. Loomis said that he believed
the bill was largely against the inter
est OF the whole community. "As
understand, it will affect merchants
and persons borrowing money to the
extent of impairing their credit to
write insurance policies. 1t affects all
labor ORG aniZstionS in the state, virtu-
ally compelling them to disband.'
II. B. Stevens when asked to express
an opinion said: sit is very broad, far
reaching, and injurious and would be
very detrim entail to cur material inter
ests. 1t would be impossible for US to
buy goods handled by the trusts. be-
cause u merchant could not get insur-
ance on Them
1t is hoped that every citizen of Ell
PaSo who has the business interests of
the city at heart will attend the meet
iug'and lend what encouragement he
can to the framing of petition to be
sent to the legislature, protesting
against the measure.
Following is the text of the bill
which has aroused so much OppoSi-
tion:
THE ANTI TRUST BILL.
A bill to be entitled an act to pro-
vide for the punishment of pools,
trusts and cOnspiracies to control
tlon In such cases.
Be it enacted by the legis'atur of
the state of Texas:
Section l. Any corporation Organiz-
ed under the laws of this or any other
state or country and transacting or
conducting any kind of business in
this state,or any partnership or indivi-
dual or Other ASSOCIATION or persons
whatsoever, who shall create. enter
into, become a member of or party
to any pool, trust, agreement, combi-
nation, confederation or understand
ing with any other corporation, part
nership, Individual or any other per-
son or association of persons to
regulate or fix the price of any article
of manufacture, mechanism, mer-
chandise, commodity, convenience, re-
pair, any product of mining or any
article or thing whatsoever, or the