Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-06
Outlook fol Legislation This
q . Session.
SEN ATE INDIFFERENT
has PASSED TWO MILD BILLS
AND Is SATISFIED.
House Indignant at Expected Treat
ment Of the Mttlefaeld Act-Only
Publicity Feature May Result.

al0 oFeT peHQinS autl-tIuSl 1SSisAdt1uA
probably will dilute the strength Of the
perfected legislation. That. of course. viii
not be unpleasing to some interests.
Whether the legislation will be considered
by the President sufficiently adequate to
cover the requirements Of the situation and
obviate1 the calling, Of an extra session
viii remain to be seen. and will depend
In measure upon the success of the argu-
ments and representations which will be
made to him by those opposed to more
stringent legislation.
For the next couple Of weeks cat-aIld-
dog time between the Senate and the House
is expected. The House is indignant, irri-
tated and peevish over the situation, and
the Senate is Indifferent to this condition
and determined upon having its own way.
When the House took up the question OF
antitrust legislation earlier in the session
and went at the subject hammer and tongs
with q disposition to do something the
Senate sat by and smiled indifferently
Senators Of the stand-pat class. who were
opposed to interfering with the industrial
development. smiled and nodded their
heads and said they would take care OF
antitrust legislation when 1t came up.
Then when President Roosevelt ma lie
1t known that he would insist upon trust
legislation at this session or would call
an extra session of the next Congress to
-
was in earnest. the Senate woke UP. It
was Immediately apparent that more mod
crate legislation could be secured now
under the whip and spur OF the short SEES
sion than in the next Congress, especially
in view Of the fact that so many republi-
cans were elected to the next House under
the specific promise to legislate on the
trust question.
Senate Woke Up.
Thereupon came the conference between
the friends of the great Industrial COM
binations likely to be affected by leg1sla-
ton and the statesmen at Washington. As
is we'll known, those conferences resulted
in the agreement Of the trusts to accept
the mild legislation which was outlined as
being possible Of accomplishment. It was
at this time that the Senate suddenly got
very busy upon the trust question. The
House had been going ahead for weeks
upon a bill. the trainers of which were con-
ferring daily with the Department of JUS
tice and with the President. securing views
of the law department of the government
and moving very cautiously to prepare a
measure which would be efficacious and
which would stand the test of the courts.
The Senate disregarded all this and start
ed In upon campaign Of its own. It was
decided to take the question out Of the
hands Of the Judiciary committee. upon the
plea that great business interests were at
stake and that senators who were In touch
with the Industrial and corporate develop
ment Of the Eouutry should have a hand in
the framing of the legislation. Within a
very brief space of time compared with the
long, ample deliberation which the House
lawyers had beem giving the subject the
Senate business men framed up a series OF
measures and. pushed them through the
Senate. The Nelson amendment to the de-
partment OF commerce bill went through
without question. and the Ekins anti-re-
bate bill passed the Senate without a word
Of debate or of explanation. --.
A sop was thrown to the judiciary COM
mittee by permitting that committee to re-
port and pass the bill recommended by the
Department of Justice for expediting the
trial in the federal courts of cases brought
which, in the view of the Senate. comprise
legislation which ought to be sufficient at
this session, were reported and passed be-
fore the House could get its antitrust bill
up for consideration. -....
Feeling in the House.
The feeling Is general in the House that
the Lttlefield BILL which is the antitrust
legislation proposed by the House, viii not
come to vote in the Senate. 1t may be
added that that opinion Is also largely en-
tertained at the. Senate end of the Capitol.
Consequently there is resentment among
the House republicans. which is manifested.
or likely to be manifested. by lukewarm-
ness toward the Elkns bill. 1t is said that
IL the LdlIleue1u Dill lS not 10 De VOteQ on
by the Senate the Elkins bill will not be
taken UP by the House. Such a program
would leave only the publicity features Of
the Nelson amendment to the department
Of commerce bill as the antitrust legisla-
ton Of this Congress. That would not be
Objectionable to the trusts. but the ques-
ton Is whether 1t would be acceptable to
the administration, which Is reported to be
determined upon some kind Of adequate
action.
Skilled parliamentarians in the House are
discussing the feasibility Of attaching the
Lttlefield bill to the conference report on
the department of commerce bill. The
weight Of opinion seems to be against the
practicability Of such action under the rules
Of the House, but It may be attempted.
The feeling Is strong In the Senate that
the President will be atisfied with a very
mild form of antitrust legislation, and that
1t will be possible to persuade him after
March that an extra session of Congress
is not advisable and that It would be better
for him to accept the department Of COM
merce bill, II that Is all that can be OBJ
tanned now, and to wait until the regular
session OF Congress next December, when
the trust question can be handled to bet
ter advantage. No one looks for an extra
session, and no one believes that the leeis-
lation at this session will be OF a very
strenuous character.
TROUBLE WITH CHIMNEYs.