The record-union., 1899-09-14
TRUSTS AND
COMBINATIONS.
Conference Called by Civic Fedora
tion Meets in Chicago.
Many Addresses on Either Side Of the
Question Delivered.
Permanent Officers Selected and
Rules of Order Agreed Upon
by the Committees-The Real
Business of the Conference to
Begin To-Day.

CHICAGO, Sept 13. The Civic
Federation conference on the uses and
abuses of trusts and combinations be-
gan here to-day with less than halt
the delegates appointed by the various
States in attendance. New York, headed
| by w. Bourke Cochran, and Wiscon-
sin, were most numerously represented
| The meeting took place in Central
Music Hall. and was called to order by
Franklin FL. Head. President of the
CIVIC Federation. The delegates lis
tened to an address of welcome to Illi-
nois by Acknowledgement Akin on be-
half of Governor Tanner who by ILL
ness, was prevented from appearing In
person. and DIR. Howard S. Taylor, City
Prosecutor. welcomed the delegates to
| Chicago on behalf of Mayor Harrison
| With the progress of the speaking ii
| became evident that many of the dele
cations had come with firm convictions
| for or against trade combinations. The
speech of Mr. Wooten of Texas, deliv-
cred during the afternoon, and ham
mering trusts in a mercilesS manner
aroused the widest enthusiasm in the
ranks of the labor representatives and
the delegations from many Western
and Southern States, while the Eastern
ers generally smiled critically and kept
their arms folded
/ The attempt to round the somewhat
shapeless mass of delegates into work
| ing form resulted in considerable disor-
der Suggestions for the makeup OF
| a committee to arrange a program fol
the conference came from every part OF
/ the house with such rapidity that il
was with difficulty that the temporary
Chairman extracted the basis for reso-
| lutions which were finally adopted
This was not accomplished until w
Bourke Cochran and August CAM, a
| delegate representing 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 a little order OF
chaos, arose. while Mr.. CAM, in a loud
tone, was declaring that his delegation
was of more Importance than that OF
any State.
When the New Yorker began speak.
ing, the labor delegate fished from a
hip pocket pair of opera glasses and
at short range contemplated the speak
er, commenting occasionally in such a
way that the merriment attained vol.
ume which drowned the voice of the
Eastern orator.
1t was finally resolved that the Civic
Federation, through it's Chairman, Mr.
Head, should conduct the meeting to-
day. and that a Committee on Pro-
gram be appointed. consisting of one
manufactures from each State deIega-
tion and one from each organization
national in it's scope
| John w. Hayes of the Knights of La
bor created something of a sensation
by declaring that "he did not intend
to be classed with the New Jersey del
egatiton, even if he did vote in tha,
cradle of trusts
Chairman Head delivered an address
in explanation for the call for the con-
/ ference. He said in part:
1.-The Civic Federation Of Chicago is
nom partisan organization embracing
in its membership goodly proportion
OF the active business and professional
men of our city. Some months since
it realized that no topic seemed sc
widely discussed as what was designat-
/ ed by the general title of 'trusts'-and
that too, upon no current topic was
/ there so widespread and general igno-
rance and confusion of ideas. 1t is
not a. trust or an antitrust conference
/ but a conference in search of truth and
/ light With this end in view. the at.
/ tendance has been solicited of men OF
every shade of opinion upon the gener.
al subject"
| Prof jerks followed with a paper un-
/ der the caption Problems Before the
/ Conference"
| Prof. jerks placed before the confer
ence the questions whether combina-
tions of capital do really abolish com
petition, and how far an establishment
which sells only a high percentage
/ say ID per cent. to 80 per cent of the
! total product, can secure monopolistic
gains; whether combinations of capital
and combinations of labor are the same
in principal, demanding the same treat
ment by law; what effect the tariff
/ laws have upon trusts and combina-
tions; whether the patent laws should
be so changed as to prevent the right
| of monopoly accruing to the patentee:
how far railroad discrimination is re-
sponsible for trusts: whether or not
/ the claim is we'll founded that combina
i tions of capital are blessings to the gen.
eral public in stimulating foreign trade:
whether or not the over capitalization
so common in the organization is harm
/ full, and if so. how it should be treated
the effect of combinations on prices OF
raw materials and finished products on
wages and on middlemen; the wisest
form of legislation should it be decid-
ed that there is need of State inter
ference in the matter
Said Prof Jenks: "If legislation is
to be chiefly regulative. will it be suf.
ficient to secure publicity, or can some
thing be done to prevent undue raising
of prices? A second question of no less
import is this: How far can such leg
islation be national under the genera
provisions of our legislation regarding
interstate commerce. and how far must
the legislation be State? Could there
| be within a reasonable time national
incorporation of great industries over
which the Federal Government shoul6
have sole control? If so, would such
control be advisable?,
/ The afternoon session opened with 6
| paper by Prof Adams on the same