The San Francisco call., 1903-01-25
Anti Trust Measure
May Have Hard
Battle.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

ALL HEADQUARTERS, SAC
n RAMENTO, Jan. 24.-Rumor has
W it that a lobby will come to this
city within the coming week to
give battle to the antitrust bill
introduced in the Senate by Hahn The
big corporations of the State fear they
will suffer heavily if the bill is passed,
and the author of the bill has received
word that strong influences are at work
to defeat the measure. Hahn's bill Is to
protect trade and commerce against un-
lawful restraints and monopoles On-
der Hahn's bill any one who suffers IN
jury by reason of anything forbidden by
the act can recover threefold the dam
ages he has sustained, the costs Of suit
and a reasonable counsel fee.
Hahn has been assured of the coop
Grafton of the leading members of the up
per house and he feels certain that the
bill will be finally passed. In discussing
the matter to-day, he said:
The Sherman law was enacted in February,
1890, after a thorough agitation of the SUD
ject in Congress. and required a debate CT
every phase of the situation before that Dill
was allowed to become a law. After 1t became
a law there was much speculation as TO wneth-
or not it was constitutional and for the
purpose of testing 1T actions were brought In
different States along the line of inJunctlons
to prevent certain combinations in restraint or
trade Almost all Of those cases were started
in the United States Circuit Courts In the dlt-
ferent districts and appeals to the Circuit
Court of Appeals and to the United States
Supreme Court were had and those courts heid
that the law was constitutional. Civil actions
were commenced TO recover damages under
the act which provided that any one suffering
ages from the defendant. The famous, shin
gle case of S. A. Gibbs vs.. r. j. McNeeley
is the latest case in point which was tried
this coast. The plaintiff recovered damages.
My bill differs somewhat from the Sherman
act. 1t eliminates all provisions pertaining to
the interstate commerce and all interstate
meters those being exclusively within the
province of the Federal courts and refers alone
to combinations arising in California. 1 don't
think there is doubt about the bill becoming
a law / have received letters from people
all over the State complimenting me on its
introduction and newspapers nave treated 1t
editorially in their columns. have been as
sured of the support of members on the floor
of the Senate and although there will be
fight against the measure, 1 feel certain it
will finally Pess.
Q ! !. o
meeting. They have looked upon the
library as their very own, and have al
ways taken pride in showing visitors the
fine collection of books. They have al
ways had access to the library and have
found it very convenient to go there and
consult books of reference. 1t was with
sorrow that many read in The Call this
morning that an attempt was being made
to remove the collection. The legislators
who represent this county in both houses
will not sit idly by and see their treas
ure taken from them. Senator Shortridge
will stand with them in the fight, as he
intends introducing a bill to erect
handsome fireproof building to house the
books. Governor Pardee was asked about
the matter this morning and he naively
said:
Being an Alameda County man and a
1 believe it would be a very good thing
If we had a large library like the State
Library at the University of California"
The chief executive of the State would
say no more, but the foregoing statement
practically shows how he feels in the
matter President Benjamin Ide Whee-
Ter is using his influence to have the IL
brary attached TO the institution of
learning He has been promised the sup
port of the Alameda County delegation.
Senator Lukens. chairman of the Judi
ciary Committee, and prospective Regent
of the State University, also favors the
removal of the library. In speaking of
the matter to-day, he said:
The accommodations at the State Capitol
for the legislative business are, and for a
long time have been, insufficient. AS many
five different committees of the Legislature
have to meet in one room owing to the want
of space. The quarters set apart for the state
Library are already too crampe1 for library
purposes and some plan looking TO the
moval of the library collection from it's pres
ent quarters has been considered. There is a
bill now before the Legislature enlarginG the
powers of the State Board of Library Trustees,
so that volumes of the State Library may be
available for the of the people throughout
the State. This has been a feature of the
management of large Eastern libraries for
some time.
Mayor Clark says he will not sit idly
by and see the library taken from this
city. He intends bringing the matter up
Immediately before the Chamber of Com
merce, and says if it is necessary he will
call mass meeting to protest against
any such action by the Legislature.