New-York tribune., 1903-01-13
.SITUATTON IN HOUSE.
4nti- Trust Legislation Predicted for
Neat Week.
rRy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.I ]

Washington JAN 12.-Ant-trust legislation
in the House of Representatives may denniteiy
be predicted for next week This statement Is
made by members Of the Littlefeld Antitrust
Committee and the programme outlined pro-
yides that on Friday the bill prepared by thls
subcommittee will be reported to the Judiciary
Committee Assurances are given that delay
will be caused by the full committee, and the
hill will at once be ordered favorably reported
to the House. At the same time the COMMITTEE
on Rules will bring in a special rule for the
consideration of the BILL with the provision that
before the end of next week a vote shall be
taken.
The decision to report the bill prepared jointly
nv the members of the subcommittee is con-
strued as something of a rundown to the bills
submitted by the Attorney General just as the
committees bill had been completed However.
in tustifying themselves in this course, the
members of the subcommittee declare that the
hill they will bring in is based on the written
recommendations of the Attorney General, and
that its provisions are the joint work of both
the majority and minority members Of the sub
committee For this reason the sub-commit-
tees hill Is believed to have better chance in
the He use so far as opposition by the minority
is concerned than measures which come to Con-
gress fresh from the hand of the Attorney
General and plainly labelled Administration
Measures"
The main features of the subcommittee bill
may be enumerated under these heads:
First-Publicity.-A provision has been drawn
ON this subject which will require statements TO
he filed annually with the government by cor
porations, showing their financial and indus
trial operations, and the amount of stock sold
and unsold and its basis of value and market
price.
Second-To meet the Attorney Generals rec
ommendation that new commission be Gre
ated 70 inquire into corporate operations col
lect data on which future legislation may be
predicated and constitute a general inforrna-
ton bureau for the government on this topic
the subcommittee has drawn a provision en-
larging the powers of the Interstate commerce
Commission to cover all these features The
suggestion is made that this commission is al
ready trained along the lines suggested, and,
moreover knows exactly where to put its hand
on much information, if 1t had the authority to
do so, which would prove invaluable.
Third-Penalties have been fixed against per-
sons receiving special rates and rebates from
industrial and transportation companies en-
gagged in interstate commerce. This is broad
ening of the law which at present provides
such penalties aaginst the givers OF rebates
only The penalties are to be in the nature of
both fines and imprisonment.
Fourth-The law regulating the taking OF
testimony and the securing OF evidence against
corporations is amended so as to make IL pos
sihla IN secure. this evidence with much greater
facility than at present
There are other features of this Dill wnlch
meet the Attorney Generals recommendations,
but which are grouped together in the casual
description OF 1t as minor features
The only cloud on the horizon Is just begin
ming to appear. but may evaporate oetore IL as