The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1903-02-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Anti Trust Bill Passed. AN Extra
Session Very Probable,
From our regular correspondent.

I
Events have moved rapidly in tn
past week and as a result the anti
truts program suggested by the senat'
leaders has been practically completet
This program has received the entire
approval of the president and only
the adoption by the house Of the 81
kins bill remains to round out all that
the Republican leaders propose to dt
In the line of trust control.
The legislative accomplishments fol
the trust control consist Of; 7; an mp
preparation Of $500, O00for the employ
ment Of expert legal assistance in the
prosecution of antitrust cases; 2; the
passage Of law expediting anti-tfust
cases in the courts, including the ap-
peal Of such cases to the supreme
court without trial by the courts Of
appeal: 3; the prohibition Of rebates
and equal liability for, grantor and re-
ceiver, provided by the Elkins bill,
which has still to receive the approx
al Of the house: A; the amendment
of the bill creating department Of
commerce and labor whereby there is
to be appointed commissioner OF
corporations whose duties it shall be
to gather statistics regarding indus
trial corporations for the use Of the
president and attorney general and the
publication of such as the president
may indicate.
According to an agreement reached
by the commerce committee conferees,
and with the approval Of the presi-
dent, the interstate commerce COM
mission is to remain intact and with
the powers conferred ON it by the El-
kins bill will be greatly increased in
Importance and ability to remedy
such evils as have heretofore attended
the management of transportation
companies and corporations. Sena-
tor Elkins, speaking of his bill, point
ed out to your correspondent that It
was merely form of the bill for
which he has long been laboring, but
which heretofore included an author
iaztion of the railways to pool for
the maintenance of rates and confer
ed power on the interstate commerce
commission to prohibit unreasonably
high rates. "The bill. in its present
FORM said the senator, meets with
the APPROVAL of everyone who under
stands its provisions. It is simple and
can boz easily COMP prehandel There,
is nothing about 1t which will run
counter to the decisions of the courts
and it is in no danger of being con-
demned as unconstitutional. 1t was
unanimously adopted by the senate,
which proves that it pleases the DEM
ocrats as we'll as the Republicans. !
have every confidence that the bill,
when enacted into law, will do me
credit"
The Littlefield ANTITRUST bill passed
the house on Saturday, after many
brilliant speeches on the subject Of
trusts, their antiquity and the diff
culties in the way Of remedying their
evils. The passage Of the will by the
house was really more of form than
otherwise as it had already been nm
nounced by the senate leaders that it
could not pass the upper chamber and
would not even receive consideration
by that body.
The prospects of an extra session OF
the senate continue to incease as the
4th of March approaches with no
further consideration Of the import
ant treaties now before that body.
There is considerable opposition
to the Alaskan treaty and Senators
Turner and Foster of Washington
have informed your correspondent
that they will vote against its ratifi-
cation. At this time, Senator Lodge,
who has just completed canvass Of
the senate on this convention, informs
your correspondent that it will be
ratified as soon as sufficient time for
its consideration can be secured SEN
ator Lodge says that the opposition is
based on misunderstanding Of its
conditions and that when the time for
a careful examination and discussion
of those provisions arrives there will
be no difficulties in the way Of con-
vincing the present opponents that it
is worthy of approval and the best
that the United States can make under
the circumstances.
Minister Bowen's rough and ready
methods of discussing diplomatic
affairs came very near causing rnp-
ture of the present negotiations dur
ing the past week. Mr.. Bowen is
very direct and frank in his methods
and pursues what is popularity called
shirt-sleeve diplomacy. These meth
ods proved severe shock to Sir
Michael Herbert and Baron Won Stern
burg and they attempted to take an
appeal to the president over Mr.. Bwen s
head. They went as far as to ask the
president ia arbitrate the questions az
issue. This Mr.. Roosevelt was dis
inclined to do and Mr.. Bowen, as the
representative of Venezuela, emphat-
icallly declined to permit of such an
arrangement and reiterated the sag-
getsion that all arbitration be per-
formed by the Hague Tribunal.