The evening times., 1900-02-27

each copy of a syllabus thus addressed
went circular letter.
Witnesses Outside of Washington
1T was not until the summer of 1899 that
the Commission. found either the time or
the occasion for the taking of testimony,
outside of the city Of Washington by the
sub-commissions among which the act per-
pits il TO arportion its work. BY a reso-
! luton adoI ted at the meeting Of June 10
| they were all authorized TO hear witnesses
during July and August in such cities as
. they deemed advisable upon the topics in
dicatcd in their respective plans of enqui Y.
The sub-c0mmission on mining was the
| first to be gin work in the outside field 1t
opened a sitting at Denver. Col, July Il.
/ Representative Bell sat in The chair. With
him were loImer Senator Lee Mantle and
Mr. VI. ID. Rdtchford of the sub-commis-
sion. and Mr.. John l.. Kennedy who had
boSn directed by the Commission to join
! il the hearings. The sitting at the Colo
rada city was continued till the evening of
July 10. Thence the sub-commission went
TO Wallace, Idaho. and held daily sittings
there from July &c to Jury 29. inclusive.
and proceeded thence to Salt Lake city,
! and held sittings there from August TO
| August ). inclusive. The testimony OF the
| twelve witnesses heard at Denver. Col,
was generally as to metaliiferous mining
| conditions with spTinhling of witnesses
on freight Determinations. The enquiry at
Wallace Idaho, conducted through the
agency of twenty witnesses, was wholly as
to the origin aud surroundings of the Occur
d'Alene labor troubles. That at Salt Lake
! City. embracing the testimony of eight wit
nesses. concerned metalliferous and coal
mining.
The sub-commisslon on manufactures
/ and general business followed a few days
later with a series o, Eastern sittings. It's
enquiry was conducted by Messrs. Ellison
A. Smyth John NJ. Farquhar, and Albert
!, Clarke. Mr.. Smyth presiding. They sat in
Boston and Lowell from July Il 10 y. and
in New York from the oath to the 26th.
, In Boston eighteen witnesses were heaId
! on general manufacturing aud labor con-
ditions, incidentally touching upon the
subjects of technical education, arbitra-
1 ton. and strikes. Five sworn in Lowell
delivered themselves chiefly upon the sub
} ject of textile education: and sixteen,
mestly connected with the Barge Office in
New York. testified in NeW York city on
= immi grafton topics.
: The sub-commission Oh agriculture be-
gan a sitting on August al the Palmer
, House in Chicago. Mr.. A. l.. Harris pre-
sided at the hearings Sitting with him
3 were Senator J. II. Kyle and Mr.. T. ID.
Conger. The first day was spent in pre-
paratory work. The taking Of testimony
began on the Sth and was continued until
the close of the 18th. Within that l'eTiod
:. nine witnesses were sworn IS 30 general
: agricultural conditions in the West: but as
the hearings progressed, conditions ttat
were not entirely agricultural were uncoE-
cred The methods of combinations o'
; elevator owners and operators were de-
scribed by several witnesses as handicap
upon the agricultural prosperity OF tht
, West. The railroads that carried for these
b great grain storehouses were said 10 he III
n co-operation with the managers Of them
} Here seemed to be topic that was foI
, treatment rather by the sub-Commisslou
, on transportation than by that on agfIcul'
E ture. and. TO avoid the cost in time and
g ! money OF having its work duplicated by
5 the other sub-commission. that oI agri'
>. + culture suspended its operations and ad'
yised that for the further prosecution oi
l the enquiry the transportation sub-com'
! mission be sent there.
THE sub-commissiun on transportation
under a resolution passed October IL. di-
e recting il to do so. proceeded to Chicago
5 and on November 15 began an inyestiga-
: ton Of the subject Because Of the fact
| that the enquiry upon which the sub-con-
mission was about to eBter was. IN a
= measure linked with the agricultural en-
4 auiry the Commission asked that Mr. Eu-
gene ID. C0nger of the sub commission ar
. agriculture to attend the sittiugs; and n5
: ] responded Beside him there were present
- at the hearings Representatives William
g Lorimer Theob9ld often. and John c. Bell
and Nessrs c. J. Harris and John L. Ken
nedy Representative Lorimer presided
9 and to Mr. Harris was confided the duty o.
questioning the witnesses. The sittings
5 we're continued from day to day until tht
- evening of the 24th
e Combinations and Trusts.
e 1T had been apparent from the com
II mencement of the work of the Commits
! sion that one of the larger topics certain II
:. engage its early attention would be thai
n concerning the relations Of industrial com
= binations popularity known as trusts, Z
: the labor. industry. and welfare of tht
z country To enter on this enquiry the
= Commission found it necessary to suspend
Il in great measure its enquiries on the more
J. general line and as the questions covered
V the syllabi of the four sub-cOmmissions th'
4 special lines of work they had original!
= mapped out for themselves have also beer
interrupted for six or seven months.
The first positive step taken toward th'
! enquiry vas the engagement, by resoiu
tion adopted at the meeting OF Februar!
e IL 1899 of Prof J. W. jerks, of Cornell
e University Ithaca, who had won interna
Il ! tional reputation among. trust economists
to digest the State and Federal laws anC
decisions Hereunder with relation Il
trusts and combinations, and the facts ant
testimony already public regarding then
. on the part OF the commission. The rang
= of his work was enlarged the enquir,
, went along. and he was retained to mai
= out the plan of procedure. to point out tn
directions the Investigations should pur
;, sue TO select and question the witnesses
= and to suggest features for the prelim
- mary and final reports.
. THE proper commencement of such al
: investigation presupposes definite un
derstanding as to the character and scop,
4, of the subject to be studied. and the Com
= mission laid the foundation with this def
milton:
. ." The investigation Of trusts or indus
: trial combinations by the Industrial Com
- mission will include any or all individuals
= firms, corporations, or combinations tina
from any cause whether control of pat
ents fayors of transportation companies
large capital or otherwise, may apparently
so prevent or regulate or attempt so t
- prevent or regulate competition and pro
y duction that they can fix the price of thei
:. | products for the whole or part Of marke
;. with little or no reference to acts OF exist
= ing competitors or to the cost of produc
ton and distribution
1T was the first essential of the inves
. tigation that it should be impartial ant
thorough, and that light from all source
v and every interest and all sides should b
q thrown on it. To that end the insertion il
q the newspapers of the country of notic
- inviting everyone who felt that he hat
:. something to suggest to suggest it wa