The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-27

that city OF convention at Chicago, in
September. for The consideration of the
whole subject seemed TO open an Oppor-
tunity for a vide acquaintance with the
thought and sentiment of leading men
from all parts of the country. and an in
yitation that had been extended to the
Commission 10 send representatives was
accepted. Representative often and Mr.
{. j. Karris. with Prof. jerks. attended.
but under the resolution directing their
attendance IL was expressly stipulated that
their participation was to be passive only
that they were to sit as listeners and not
as takers, and that nothing they might
say az the gathering was to be accepted
as in the least committing the Commits
sion on any phase Of the subject. Prof
jerks having been invited by the fe1era-
alton. the Commission consented that ne
lay the foundation for the discussion with
an impartial and non committai state
ment CT the ease at the convention. but
beyond that 20 one no went on behalf
OF the Commission took any part in the
proceedings.
Herring the Witnesses.
ON the conduct Of it's enquiries the Com
mission divided the testimony periods Of
the months between the hearing OF trust
Witnesses and the hearing OF witnesses on
general topics The first OF the trust wit
uesses was called on April Z. 1899. at his
own request, at that early period in the in
vestigation for the reason that he expected
10 go abroad scon after and might not re-
turn TO this country in time 10 be heard.
The systematic taking of testimony on the
question did not begin, however. until
month later, when State Senator James W.
Lee. OF Pittsburg Pa. appeared as a wit
ER h,rF rra he IN,
that month. by twelve In June, by six in
September. by fifteen in October. by sew
enteen in November and by three in De-
CemDeT- The testimony of two OF the wilt
nesses heard in Boston BY the sub-commis-
sion on manufactures bore with enough dis
tinctness on the trust question to justify
their inclusion here.
Apart from that which relates TO the
topic of trusts I'm a general kind Of way.
the enquiry. through the agency Of these
witnesses. was on both sides into the stan
dsrd Oil. Sugar. Tin Plate. American Steel
and Wire. Federal Steel. Steel Hoop. Inter
national silver the National Shear. and
the Whisky combinations with an inciden-
tai excursion into the corporation laws OF
the States Of New Jersey from which very
many OF the large combination derive their
charJersD, and OF Delaware and West Vir-
ginia.
The work has not been completed. There
are yet other combinatious whose methods
and effects are 10 be- studied and the con-
temptation is that the taking OF testimony
GA the yet unfinished branches Of the en-
quiry viii be Continued until late in the
coming year
Besides this testimony a volume has
been prepared containing the trust laws OF
the United States and the States and Ter
ritories. with q digest OF the decisions
made hereunder and several % the leading
common law decisions relating 10 indus
trial combinations. and second part con
tanning digest of the corporation laws
which deal with the formation OF indus
trial combinations
I'm the conduct Of the invests cation the
agent bad written TO December J. 1893
nearly COO letters and kilograms and had
received more than 700 In addition sew
eTai charts have been prepared, Sl2 blank
forms for information have been received,
filled out and nearly or quite 600 written
pages OF material. statistical and histori-
cal. have been COllated to aid i'm the eN-
animation Of witnesses. the annexation OF
testimony. etc.