New-York tribune., 1903-01-19
TRUST BILL MODIFIED.
CHANGE TO SUIT SEM TIE.
Interstate Commerce Commission to
Enforce II.
rRr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. !


Washington. Jan 1S--An Administration bill
for the control of tho trusts will he reported to
the Judiciary Committee of the House of Rep
resentatjves Tuesday. according 10 the present
programme. This bill is the combined work of
the Littlefeld subcommittee. President Roose-
veIt and the Attorney General 1T will he a
measure conservative in its provisions. hut with
potency in the way of strengthening in several
important ways the legislation the
statute books. II viii also he a measure on
which the Senate can take action without hesi-
,ation. and 10 accomplish this the President and
his advisers have given to the measure most
careful scrutiny.
The finishing touches will he placed the bill
tomorrow. and for this reason the regular meet
ing of the Judiciary Committee OF the House
will he postponed until Tuesday. If the request
of the subcommittee is complied with. The
riiI is an entirely different measure from that
which the subcommittee had ready for report
ing week ago. before the President and Mr.
Knox had been acquainted with its terms The
subjects with which its sections deal are the
same. but the manner OF dealing with them is
understood to be much more conservative. and
Yet they viii mean much If they become law in
their present form.
An important feature of the bill as outlined
tonight by a member of the subcommittee
Is publicity in such modified form that it
viii not interfere with legitimate business oper-
ations, CT give to competitors unequal ad-
vantage over one another. The latest draft of
the publicity section puts its enforcement in the
hands of the Interstate Commerce Commission
i is drawn that facts and figures may be
required by this commission from any corpora
non at any time. hut an annual statement from
al corporations viii not be compulsory. as was
The intent of the first draft Of the bill. This
modification WAS made at the suggestion of the
Attorney General and its logic was at once
,oncurred in by the Republican members of the
subcommittee. Besides the publicity feature,
and the enlargement Of the powers of the Inter
state Commerce Commission which is contained
I'm il. the sherman Antitrust law is made more
potent by new section on the subject Of OBJ
tainiag evidence Of the misdoings of corpora
rioDS. which includes both industrial and trans
l.orta7ion concerns. As discrimination in freight
7atAs is regarded as one Of the greatest evils
lo ue cured. the suggestion of the Attorney
General that the common law against brihe
takers he incorporated into the statute and ap-
Piled to persons receiving special privileges
from transportation companies has been COM
piled with. This enc feature is declared to
double the chances of successful prosecution
along the line of greatest industrial evils
The modification Of the subcommittee bill at
I he suggestion of the Attorney General has been
made with another object in view-that of en-
hancing the chances Of its passage in the Sen
ale II has been recognized from the nrSt tnat
here would he little difficulty in passing a trust
measure through the House. no matter how rad
lCal its provisions might be To secure action
only bY the House however. would not meet
Z he desire of the President. He is anxious that
every vestige Of constitutional authority which
has not been embodied in the present federal
regulations shall be exhausted. He has indi-
- ted this TO the subcommittee AT the same
irne ne has cautioned conservatism. The en-
actn1ent Of law at the present session of Con-
sress which VIII strengthen the powers Of the
Attorney General when it is least effective. and
the constitutionality of which will at the same
time stand the test of the Supreme Court Of the
I -nired States viii he an accomplishment eT1ll-
fenrly satisfactory
With the programme outlined by the House
Committee on Rules Saturday, the coming
week in the House will be filled with financial
legislation To the Philippine Gold Standard bill
nd the Fowler Flexible Currency bill have been
given prominent places for consideration Even
should the progra Tnme Of reporting the trust
legislation 20 the House on Tuesday be carried
out as is confidently predicted. il is believed
that its consideration cannot be reached for at
loast , week from that time.