The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-07
.HARDSTRUCCLEOVER
COMMERCE
BILL
Considerable Bad Feeling
Engendered Among the
Conferees-H Hitch Is Over
Transfer of Interstate
Commerce Commission
Nelson Trust Amendment
Goes.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. g.
The conferees of the senate and house
on the department of commerce bill
were in session three hours today, the
greater part of the time being spent
IN an effort to adjust the differences
on the question as to whether the
president should be given power to
transfer the Interstate commerce COM
mission to the proposed department, as
provided by the house bill Consider
able feeling was manifesto No time
was lost In reaching an agreement on
the trust provision. The differences
We're adjusted by the acceptance Of
the Nelson amendment with a portion
OF the house provision added.
The conferees then sought to come
10 an understanding on the question
or transferring the interstate commits
sion to the new department, but ad-
Journed until tomorrow without COM
Ing to any conclusion. The bill as
passed by the house authorizes the
president to transfer to the proposed
department 1.-The whole or any part of
any Office, bureau, division or other
branch of the public service engaged
in statistical or scientific work, or the
interstate commerce commission
House Members Say Yes.
The senate conferees moved to strike
out the words referring to the COM
mission and after some objections the
representatives of the house assented
1t was then suggested that the trans
fer of the commission might be ac-
| complished under the general authority
given to transfer bureaus engaged in
statistical work, as the business of
the interstate commission is largely OF
that character, and an effort was made
so to amend the language of the pro-
vision as to prevent and even prohibit
the result. 1t was at this point that
the meeting came to a close.
| The members of the house refused
point blank for a time to consider any
further changes, and it looked for
awhile as If it would be necessary to
bring the conference to close and re-
port deadlock. Further parleying
produced more cOnciliatory spirit and
the meeting at last adjourned with
an understanding to meet again tomor-
row. Hope was expressed that an
agreement would be finally reached
then. The effort of the senate con-
ferees now is to limit the transfer to
bureaus engaged exclusively in sta
tistical work.
The Trust Provision.
The text of the trust provision as
agreed on and as it will become in
case an agreement can be reached on
the interstate commerce commission
Section 6.-That there shall be in
the department of commerce and labor
bureau to be called the bureau of
corporations and a commissioner Of
corporations. who shall be the head of
said bureau, to be appointed by the
president, who shall receive a salary
OF five thousand dollars per annun.
There shall also be in said bureau a
deputy commissioner, who shall receive
salary of three thousand five hundred
dollars per annum. and who shall in
the absence Of the commissioner act
as, and perform the duties of, the
commissioner of corporations, and who
snail also perform such other duties as
may be assigned to him by the secre-
tary of. commerce and labor, or by the
said commissioner
There shall also be in the said bu-
reau chief clerk and such special
agents, clerks and other employees as
may be authorized by law. The said
| commissioner shall have power and
authority to make, under the direc-
tlon OF the secretary Of commerce and
labor, dIllgent eStigation into the
organization, conduct and manage
ment of the business of any corpora
lon, Joint stock company or corporate
combination engaged in commerce
among the several states and with
foreign nations, excepting common
carriers, subject to an act to regulate
commerce, approved Feb. 4, 1887. and
to gather such information and data
as will enable the president of the
united States to make recommends
tons to congress and to report such
data to the president from time to
time as he shall require; and the in
formation so obtained or as much
thereof as the president may direct
shall be made public.
! AS by the Interstate Law.
In order to accomplish the purpose
OF this section, the said commissioner
| shall have and exercise the same DOW
| er and authority in respect to corpor-
atoms, joint stock companies and COM
01nat1ons subject to the provisions
| hereof as is conferred on the inter-
state commerce commission in said
| act to regulate commerce and the
| amendments thereto in respect to COM
| mon carriers so far as the same NAV
| be applicable, including the right to
| subpoena and compel the attendance
and testimony of witnesses and the
| production of documentary evidence
| and to administer oaths. All the re-
! qulrements and obligations, liabilities
| and fmmunitieS imposed or conferred
| by said act to regulate commerce and
| by an act In relation to testimony be-
| fore the interstate commerce commits
! sion, ETC., approved Feb. II, 1893. sup
| Elemental to said act to regulate COM
merce, shall apply to all persons who
I may be subpoenaed to testify as wit
nesseS or to produce documentary svi-
! dence in pursuance of the authority