Evening star., 1900-05-02
DISCUSSION OF. TRUSTS
ARMY APPROPRIATION BILL BEFORE
THE SENATE.
Amendment Restricting the Quarter
masters Department in Its Pur-
chases Defeated by 1S to %.

During the greater part of the session OF
the Senate yesterday afternoon the army
appropriation bill. carrying supplies for the
military establishment of more than s114,-
100000. was under consideration. rbe fea-
ture of the discussion of the measure was a
debate on trusts. precipitated by an amend
ment offered by Mr. Berry (Ark.), providing
that the quartermaster's department should
| not purchase supplies from any recognized
trust. The amendment was defeated. The
bill! had not been completed when the Sen
ate adjourned.
| After The Stars report of the Senate pro-
ceedings was closed yesterday afternoon
Mr.. Hawley, in charge of the hill. offered
and secured the adoption of the following
amendments:
Appropriating $4,000 for clerk hire, furni-
| ture. stationery. etc. FOR the war college:
increasing the appropriation for paymast ers'
clerks at 81 400 each from sl2j.OpO to $i33,-
go, and fixing their compensation on ser
vice basis. thus: Those who have served iif-
teen years, I,S0H; ten years. $1,000: five
years. sl,'00: less than five years. 81 400:
fixing travelling allowances for officers ard
men discharged in the insular possessions
at cents a mile.
committee amendmen. was offered by
Mr.. Hawley striking out the last paragraph
of the bill and inserting the following:
fhat the act approved January II. 1922.
granting extra pay to officers and enlisted
extend to all officers and ents: "a men of
the volunteer organizations who have scrv ed
honestly and faithfully III the volunteer
army or the United States during the war
with Spain, and have been npnOrably dis
charged prior to January L. 1899. with their
organizations without furlough, Or by rea-
son OF their services being longer re-
quired. at any time by reason of wounds
received disability contract ed in the ser
vice and In the line of duty, and who ha- G
not received the extra pay granted in said
act subsequent acts of Congress SllrDle-
mental thereto"
The amendment was agreel to.
Aimed at Trusts.
Mr.. Berry offered the following amend
ment. which precipitated a debate upon the
question of trusts: THE quarterma ster'S
department, in making contracts and pur-
chases of articles and supplies for the mill
tary service, shall give preference all other
things. including price and quality. being
equal. to articles of the growth. production
and manufacture of the United States: and
as between the producers, manufacturers.
merchants and dealers of the United
States preference shall be given. all other
things. including price and quality, being
equal. to those producers. manufa cturers.
merchants and dealers who are not men,
bers of or in any way connected with any
trust or combine formed to produce. manu-
facture or sell the articles which are being
contracted for and purchased by the quar-
termaster's department for the military
service
Mr.. sewell On. j. inquired what ne meant
by trust, He had heard of these propo-
tons before, but had not heard anybody
give a satisfactory definition of trusts and
combines. What were commonly known as
trusts. he said. had in many instances
proved to be public benefactors.
He designated the Standard OIL Company
and the American Sugar Refining Company
two combinations of capital which had
cheapened their products TO the people.
ahn
he said, was the adoption of the small ways
of the past of transactins business, and 1t
was not in any respect based upon good
sense.
Mr.. Berry replied that he had not eX-
pected Mr.. Sewell to agree with him and
be in sympathy with any effort to curtail
or destroy the power Of great comhi tions
of capital In the course of a discussion
of trusts. Mr.. Berry said it WAS well un-
derstood that the object of such combina-
tions was to raise prices. He declared that
the question Of trusts was one of the great
est faced by the people of the coun-
try. He knew he said. that the leaders of
the republican party We're not in favor of
trusts. and pointed out that the republicans
of Ohio only last week had adopted a plat
form Condemning trusts
"Of course" said Mr.. Berry, the plank
was feeble one but it plank
Mr.. Hawley opposed the amendment on
the ground that the officers Of the army
had no option but to accept the lowest bids
for supplies.
Mr.. Stewart took the ground that it had
| thus far been Impossible to frame such leg
islaiion as would be effective against trusts.
Most of the efforts in this direction had
been. he said, ''perfectly wild and crazy
and the proposed amendment one of a
comedy Of errors on the subject.
MIR. Sevells Statement Denied.
Mr.. Pettigrew attacked Mr.. Sewells
statement that the Standard Oil Company
and the American Sugar Refining Company
We're benefactors of the people and had
cheapened products. He produced figures
which. he maintained. showed that neither
of the great corporations mentioned really
had cheapened its products, their action
at all times being directed toward the
crus hing out of competition and the In
creasng of their own profits.
Mr.. Stewart maintained that the only
remedy for trnsts was competition. If a
Legislative remedy could be found he would
favor ii. He said there were combinations
of capital that were bad and others that
were good
Mr. Teller-"WilI the senator tell us what
| is the difference between bad trusts and
good trusts"
The Senate of the United States is a
| trus;," replied Mr.. Stewart, and | be-
! lieve, good one" haughter)
| Some of the trusts, said he. We're mOnopo-
| lies and they were bad. The line of de-
marcatiou between bad trusts and good
| ones was difficult to find But. said he,
in conclusion, leave competition untram-
mcled and thc people will rid themselves
| of all bad trusts. OF course. cannot
N any way stop the overproduced industry
| OF howling against trusts simply to win
votes 10 get into Office.
| Mr.. Teller believed that the trust ques-
| ton was Immensely important and one that
| must be met squarey and handled, 1t was
| desirable, he thought, that ii should be
| dealt with by the states, but the difficulty
was that many legislatures We're controlled
| by the trusts themselves. National Legs
| lation Of kind that could would be
| enforced was, therefore, desirable
Mr.. Teller said the trust question would
| have to be dealt with by law. The time
! had come to take hold of trusts. IF the
| Sherman law were enforced said he 'as
| it ought to be- there would not be the cry
| there is now against trusts. If law should
| be enacted providing that the officers of
any trust combination should be i'm
| prisOned for contributing to the fund of
| any political party stop would soon be
| put to an alliance between trusts and
| politics.
Mr.. Teller sad the subject was a delicate
| one, It desirable that proper cor
| porationS should not be made to suffer
The Amendment Defeated.
The amendment offered by Mr. Berry was
| defeated, Is to -, as follows:
| Yeas-Bacon. Bate, Berry. Butler Clay,
| Davis, Harris. Heitfcld, Jones (Ark) Ken