, 1900-02-14
ANTITRUST MEET.
AFTER HEATED DEBATE CONFER
ENCE REPORTED IN FAVOR OF
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
Seizure of Railroads. Telegraph and
Telephone Lines Recommended,
After Payment of Just Value, IT.
respective of Franchise Value
Preamble and Resolutions.

Chicago, Feb. 13.-After a heated de-
bate, the resolutions committee of the
antitrust conference tonight decided to
report in favor of government owner
ship of railroads and for their seizure
en- payments of actual value and with
out payment for 'watered stock or
other fictitious Values There was a
sharp discussion in the committee, and
brought on by an effort to make the
platform read as it had been drawn up,
that the government should seize the
railrods on payment of actual value,
land without payment for franchise
Values Unanimous action was final
ly obtained by cutting out the words
franchise Values and inserting in
stead the phrase, "watered stock or
other fictitious values" The commit
tee also unanimously favored direct
popular legislation as a means of OBJ
tanning the result.
The platform, as agreed upon by the
committee on resolutions, and as it
will be submitted to the conference for
adoption tomorrow morning, was pre-
coded by a long address to the voters
of the country. This address urges the
people to organize at once to deprive
the trusts of their power. 1t says the
only remedy for the trust evil is the
abolition of legalized privileges OF ev-
cry kind, and recommends three legal
lied privileges as objects for the initial
attack, as follows:
First-Privilege created by tariffs
for the protection of goods controlled
by trusts.
Second-Privilege created by surren-
dering the money issuing function to
private corporations.
Third-The privilege created by tel
egraph and railway franchises.
The platform is as follows:
Resolved, First, that congress take
immediate steps, under the power of
eminent domain or otherwise, as may
be deemed most expedient (but in any
event by paying a just value, prospect
i've of franchise value of any property
taken or condemned) to establish tele-
graph and telephone systems of the
United States as adjuncts of the post
office department and subject to it's op-
erations.
Second-That congress defeat all
measures that have been or may be
proposed and repeal all that now have
the sanction of law, whereby private
corporations may acquire control of the
volume of circulating medium and ere
ate a banking trust.
Third-That the tariff shall no long
err be employed to foster and buttress
trusts, but that congress shall place on
the free list all articles of sale which,
in the United States, are controlled by
trusts.
Fourth-That congress take immedi-
ate steps, under the power Of eminent
domain or otherwise, as may be deem
ed most expedient (but in any event
by paying a just value, irrespective of
franchise value of any property taken
or condemned), to take, own and ope-
rate interstate rail highways now own
ed and operated by private persons or
railway corporations.
Whereas. The political power of
trusts rises in their frequent represent
tation in and control Of houses of leg
islation, we recommend the adoption
of a system known as direct legisla-
ton, to make the government once