The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-17
MEASURES AGAINST TRUSTS.
TWO BILLS BEFORE house JUDI
CIARY COMMITTEE.

Subcommittee Has Prepared One
Measure Providing for II COnsti-
tutiOnnI Amendment Giving Con-
Eress Power to Legislnte Against
MOnOpolies, and Another to Amend
the Sherman Act-PubIicity is the
Chief Remedy.
Washington. April 1.-two measures
directed against trusts were determined
upon to-day by special subcommittee
on trusts of the House Judiciary Commit
tee.
The special subcommittee has spent
many days examining the various rene
dies proposed. and the conferences were
not concluded until late hour to-day
AS agreed upon the remedy is two-fod,
namely a constitutional amendment Civ
ing Congress full power to deal with trusts
and a new antitrust law making the fol-
lowing extensions to the Sherman act
First. Requiring the branding or mark
ing of trust-made goods shipped out of a
state, so as to be easily identified as the
product of a trust.
Second. Prohibiting the Interstate
traffic of trust made goods not branded,
and making them subject to seizure and
condemnation.
Third. Requiring corporations having
a capital over 81 1,COO,O 600 or doing an an
nual business of $. 900, 600 to file a re-
port of their affairs with the Secretary of
State.
Fourth, Providing the process of in
junction against combinations sending
trust-made goods from state to stale or
to foreign countries.
Fifth Prohibiting the use of the mails
to concerns and their officials proven to
be trusts
Constitutional Amendment.
Judge Ray of New York, chairman of
the judiciary Committee and of the spe-
cial subcommittee on trusts, gave out
the following summary of the measures:
THE subcommittee of the Committee
on the judiciary to-day agreed 10 report
to the full committee a proposed consd-
tutional amendment, which provides that
Congress shall have power to define, reg
ulate, control, prohibit or dissolve trusts,
monopolies or combinations, whether ex-
listing in the form of a corporation or
otherwise, and which further provides
that the several states may continue TO
exercise such power in any manner not
in conflict with the laws of the United
States.
"rhe necessity for this amendment
grows out of the fact that it Is held by
the Supreme Court of the United States
that manufacture and production are no
part of Interstate conmerce and cannot
be reached under the interstate commerce
clause of the constitution, even though
monopoly in manufacture indirectly af-
fects or controls such commerce. There
FORE monopoly in manufacture is not re-
stranable by Congress, even when 1t con-
trolls the output of an article of necessity
to all the people In all the states and
fixes the price at will
Amendment of Sherman Act.
another measure amends the act of
July 2, 1890, being an act to protect trade
and commerce against unlawful restraints
and monopoly, and known as the Sher-
r1ani act The proposed bill increases the
penalties fixed by that act and adds three
to FIVE new sections The new sections
relate to producing and manufacturing
corporations and associations organized
or managed for the purpose of controll-
ing or monopolizing manufacture or pro-
ductiou CT conducting their business so as
to monopolize manufacture. 1t provides
that corporations and associations organ
lied and carrying on business for such a
purpose shall mark goods shipped with
out the state in which produced and that
the same shall not be transported or car
ried without such state when not so mark
ed either upon the goods themselves, the
packages containing the same or the cars
in which shipped, Articles of commerce
not marked may be seized and condemned
when made a part of interstate COM
merce.
1t is further provided that corporations
ard associations organized with or hav
ing capital stock Of s. 0)0,O.0
or over. or doing a business of 81,
10000 or over per annum, shall, be-
fore being permitted to transport their
product into any other state or territory,
file with the Secretary of State of the
United States a report making substan-
TALLY the same showing now required Of
railroad and steamship companies engag-
ed in interstate commerce.
Penalties Prescribed.
at further provides that corporations
their business for the illegal purposes
aforesaid may be restrained from carrying
on interstate or foreign commerce, ard
also provides that when such corpora. ions
or associations are adjudged Illegal with
in the meaning of the act IL and its Of
ffcers and members shall be prohibited
from using the mails in aid Of their illegal
designs.
penalties are imposed for violations Of
the act, and jurisdiction IS conferred upon
the circuit and district courts. and IL is
made the duty of the Attorney General
and of the several district attorneys of the
United States to institute all proceedings,
civil and criminal, necessary to prevent or
punish violations of the act, which is to
take effect June 30, 1900"