Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-12-11
Senate Likely to BaIk.

Will congress stand by President
Roosevelt on the question of trust leg
lslation? OF immence Importance are
the conferences now in progress be-
tween the president and senators on
this subject. The conferences deal with
The unwillingness of the senate to at
tempt seriously to do anything at this
aession of congress.
The house is practically certain to
n-eet the popular demand and pass a
bill for the future regulation of cor
porations doing an interstate business.
but a palsy has overcome the move-'
ment to meet the trust question, SO far
as senators are concerned.
Among those with whom Roosevelt
mas talked are Hoar of Massachusetts,
chairman of the committee on judiciary;
Hanna, chairman of the republican ma
tional committee, and Platt of Con-
necticut, a prominent member of the
committee on judiciary. He will also
have a conference with Senator Spoon
err who, by common consent, holds the
office of "harmonizer and legal adviser
in the senate.
If the president can get the party CO.
operation of these four powerful SEN
ators he will undoubtedly arouse the
senate from it's present apathy and Sc
cure trust legislation before congress
goes out of office, on March a. These
senators are all strongly inclined
against trust legislation at this time,
but for different reasons, which each
frankly gives.
Hoar takes the position that there is
need for changes in the present laws,
but that the question is SO complicated
| it cannot be solved at short session of
congress.
Hanna maintains the attitude that
thrust Legislation of any sort is likely
| to work as much harm to the business
| interests of the country as the tariff
! legislation would.
| Platt regards the Sherman anti trust
law as very thorough piece of legisla-
| ton, and is impressed with the constt-
| tutional difficulties in the way of put
| ting into operation any additional legis-
| lation. His policy appears to be, Go no
| further now"
Spooner believes the only way in
| which state corporations even though
| they do an interstate business, can be
controlled by the federal government
| further than now, is by the adoption OF
a constitutional amendment.
| Land Frauds in Western States.
Land frauds in Nebraska and other
western states, which President Roose-
| welt is fighting, have led to the intro
| duction of bills by Senator Quarles OF
| Wisconsin and Representative Powers
| OF massachusetts, repeating the timber
and stone act, the desert land act and
F! the communication clause of the home
| stead act The frauds are made possi-
bic by violating these laws. Seventy
million acres of public land have passed
| from government into private control
during the last five years. Millions of
| acres have been absorbed in western
states, where there has been no GORE
spending increase in population. Okla
Il a III
| ceptions, as the migration of home-
seekers into these states has been large.
Cattle men and sheep men, financed by
| their local banks and through the
packing house combinations in Chicago.
are hiring persons in droves to file
homestead, timber and desert land
claims along their illegal fence lines.
| Every person filing claim for that
purpose violates the law, but the laws
have become q dead letter.