The Washington times., 1903-01-16
TRUST LEGISLATION
AWAITS KNOA'S RETURN
RemOdeled Measure Will Be
Submitted to Him.
FIGHTING AGAINST TIME
Result Expected to Be Harmless Bill,
Intended to Obviate an Extra
Session.

Trust busting legislation. as it is
now popuiarly termed. has been delayed
for another week 1t is up to Attorney
General Knox. and he has gone TO Penn
sylvania
Out of the almost countless measures !
which have been proposed and the sug-
gestions which have been advanced,
there has not yet been evolved bill
which quite meets with the approval Of
those whose approval is necessary in
order that it may be enacted into law.
a score ana more Of members Of the
House ana Senate. individually and col-S
lectiveiy, have tried their hand at
molding d buster buI each was re
iected. either as impracticable or fmpos-
zi5Ie. Then Senator Hoar Iabcred many
long nights and days and brought forth
a measure which has been so ruthlessIy
treated as &c dwarf it from the first
Jenkins Scoop"
= week ago the LittIefeld subcommit-
Tee Of the House Judiciary Committee.
after toiling for nearly four weeks in
an effort TO evolve trust busting
buster" from the mass of material be
fore it, had practically completed
measure. The three Republican mem
beTs-Nessrs. LittledeId, Powers Of
Massachusetts and Overs5reet-were
simply waiting TO submit it to their
Democratic colleagues. Messrs. Dear
mond and Clayton. who had up TO that
time been working in harmony with
them in the preparation of the meas
ure, when Chairman jenkins -'scooped''
his subcommittee by surrepUtiously in
PRODUCING the two Knox antitrust bills.
This caused a delay OF another week,
while the subcommittee considered
the two measures from the Attorney
General as suggestions in the formation
of its own bill. Again the subcomnlit-
tees bill was modified, and. as it was
believed. toned down and whipped into
such shape as to meet the wishes of the
Administration. and yesterday it was
supposed to be in readiness to report to
the full committee today On Wednes-
day the Republican members Iunched
with the President and presented a COPY
IF their proposed bill 10 him When they
left the White House they believed that
their measure bore the Administration
approval.
Another Setback.
In fact members of the committee
said yesterday afternoon that after sub
mitting their bill 10 their Democratic
colleagues Il would in all probability be
made public last night. L was known TO
contain publicity feature drawn after
the plan proposed by Representative Lit
1iefeld, and in line with the Presidents
well-defned views upon this subject; it
also embraced the opinions and sugges-
tions Of the Attorney. General upon the
matter OF rebates, and provided for the
enlargement Of the powers of the Inter
state Commerce Commission TO deal with
trust matters
This was a slight departure from the
suggestions of Mr.. Knox, who advised an
independent commission but this differ
ence was harmonized. But Just as the
bill was about to be born there came a
summons for the three trust busters to
appear before The Attorney General with
their bill. They responded, and the re-
suit was that some psrforations were
made in the measure by Air. Knox. The
publicity feature was the chief object Of
his attack This part of the bill as
drawn by the committee, Mr. Knox be-
lieved 10 be toe drastic. and hence IL viii
be necessary. to tone it down,
Senate to Be Considered.
Another reason for moderatfug the
terms Of the measure is found in the fact
that this must be done in order that It
may pass the Senate. "A number OF lead
ing Republican Senator's have been con
suited IN regard 10 the matter. and eacn
has recommended a sort of harmless
measure. for the reason that in their
opinion nothing so drastic as is proposed
IL the Littleheld bill could possibly get
through the Senate at this session. Al
most any sort Of an antitrust bill could
be rushed through the House under the
rules and the party whip. but it would
be effectively blocked in the Senate and
then the President would be Obliged to
call an extra session if he retains his
determination to have antitrust Iegisla-
ton. Hence the bill is now 10 undergo
another oveThaultng in order that it may
meet the views Of Senators whose votes
are essential to its passage
What the Hexl force VIII be 10 enter
into consideration and change the bill,
ii is not easy TO say. Neither can II now
be said what sort Of a measure viii f.
naily be reported from the Judiciary
Committee Only one thing is certain.
and mat Is that no buI VIII be reported
for week. Attorney General Knox has
gone 10 PittsDurg ana the FemodeIed
measure VIII be submitted to him upon
his return.
Democrats Eliminated
Meanwhile the Republican members Of
the committee win work upon the meas
ure without the aid of their Democratic
colleagues. The latter, who. up to the
time Attorney General Knox took hand
il the matter, had been acting in har-
mony with the Republicans. viii not now
be taken into the confidence Of the ma
tority until the biIi IS agaID in share