New-York tribune., 1903-01-17
MILD ANTITRUST BILL.
ADOPTING KNOY'S VIEW.
Effort to Frame Measure That
UW Pass the Senate.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.I


Washington Jan. 16.-Future work on the
antitrust bill which is still nominally In charee
of the Republican members of the Littieneid
antitrust committee Of the House, will be car
ried On at the Department of Justice. Repre-
sentatives Littlefeld, Overstreet and Powers, OF
Massa achusetts. will go to the office of Attorney
General Knox Tomorrow, according TO the pres
ent plan. There they will have the facilities OIL
the whole department with its law clerks ana
library and the testing of every provision OF the
bill will be carried on with the greatest
care. The Attorney General Will be In Pitts
burg until next week, but he has fully outlined
his ideas to the committee, and has laid spe-
cial emphasis on the importance of making
whatever legislation that is decided upon PROOF
against the skilled legal experts who are en-
ployed the defenders of corporate interests
in all suits brought against them
Attorney General Knox is greatly in earnest
regarding the proposed legislation He is anx-
ious to strengthen the present laws just so Tar
they weak. 1t is not his desire to eX-
pose the legitimate business of the country TO
unnecessary embarrassments or possible de-
struction through legislation which might. IN
its administration, be manipulated in a manner
inimical to sound business methods. Ihe AttoF-
ney General is understood to have 1evelled just
criticism at the publicity feature of the Little
licty of all business transactions according to
the statement of one member of the committee
It required an annual return to the Interstate
Commerce Commission from all industrial and
Transportation corporations The disclosures re-
quired TO be made were such that legitimate
competition among all classes of business would
be endangered. The Attorney General is salo
10 have called attention to this and 10 nave
suggested that publicity should be made only
on the demand of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, and that the features of this publicity
should also be limited SO to disclose only
such facts as would be essential for the proper
and legitimate regulation of Interstate COM
merce in accordance with the laws already on
the statute books and the further regulations
contained in the proposed bill
There are other features of the subcommittee
bill which will be revised in the light of past
litigation, and every possible loophole will be
securely "chnked up to prevent the wrigglins
out of defendants The fact that the Senate
is regarded as the stumbling block to antitrust
legislation at the present session OF Congress
is also a factor which is being made matter OF
serious consideration in the preparation Of the
present bill. With this end in view. the measure
will not be so drastic to endanger its Ia
vorable consideration in the Senate
Another argument for mild legislation circu-
lated at the CapitO To-Day, ana apparently elf1d-
ating from trust sources. is that the big cor
rations will not oppose reasonable legislation
to strengthen the Sherman Antitrust law
This course is pursued as far preferable TO trust
opposition at this time with the danger of dras-
tic action at the next session of Congress
President Roosevelt has also clearly indicated
to the leaders in Congress that while he has
firmly and openly placed himself on record as
favoring immediate action of a remedial charac-
ter, he will be satisfied If this action is only
step or two in the right direction. Progress Is
what he demands, appreciating that both legis-
lation of this character and it's effect on the
country are subjects for conservative rather
than too hasty and too sweeping action.
Some comment is being made by the Demo-
Gratis in the House on the fact that neither the
President nor the Attorney General invited the
tee to take part in the conferences at the
White House and at the Department of Justice
This comment takes the nature of criticism, and
is declared to be the injection Of politics into the
proposed trust legislation. The fact we'll
known that both majority and minority mem
bers working in entire harmony on the
measure. Since the White House conference.
however, neither Representative De Almond
nor Representative Clayton has attended the
meetings of the sub committee, and when the
bill is completed, while it will have the un-
doubted Endorsement of the President and the
Attorney General, it will nevertheless be a
subject for sharp criticism by the minority.