The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-09
ANrI-TRUsr LEeIsLArIoN.

The house on Saturday passed the
Iittlefeld ANTITRUST bill by unanimous
vote If there was any member opposed
to it. Republican or Democrat, he dared
not say So Probably every member
was glad to push the whole matter over
onto the senate and let it bear the bur
den of condemnation which may come
from the trusts or the people in accord
ance with which ever position it takes
If the senate remain true to its past
record it is not likely to do anything
which Will interfere seriously with the
business conditions of the country
Only 80 out of 80 senator's are elected
every two years. while with the house
1t is different. The house can't afford
to trihe with the people too far
The trust question in its various
phases and conditions. as related to con
gress, is discussed by the Minneapolis
Tribune as follows:
"The trust question is many-sided
and congress is legislating for one side
at a time Several bills pending in one
or the other house must be passed sep
arately or gathered into one law before
the legislation on which the president
has set his heart viii be complete
These various objects are TO be ac-
complished. Railroad rebates are TO be
efficiently prevented, that large shippers
may tia n p no dQNalAaEt over SAllAll. 4 ne
courts are to be given greater power.
and, above all. more speed in prose-
cutting violations OF laws by trusts. The
publicity experiment is to be tried some
effort is to be made to bring the indus
trial corporations within the scope of all
laws relating to state commerce. and.
finally, the president and the attorney
general desire to attack trust monopoly
by making it Illegal to cut prices locally
In order to crush out competition.
The sO-Cailed EllSins bill. passed by
the senate. makes il illegal either TO
give or receive rebates and provides
heavy punishment by fines Bills are
pending in various stages making arp.
preparations for more vigorous prosecu
ton of trust suits, and expediting this
kind Of business in the courts. The
publicity feature, as we'll as the pro-
hinition Of rebates is in the Littedeld
hiil- but this provision is also In the
Qcnartment Of commerce bill. which is
~ q more adFanced stage The prac-
ticai effect of the provisions of this bill
is to bring industrial corporations en-
gagged in interstate commerce under the
law
Passage Of all these will accomplish
four Of the i've objects recited above
leaving only the punishment by law al
local undersellin- to crush out cOmpa.
tition. This is i'm the Iittlefield bill in
addition to the other features cove1ef
by other bills. IL these should be passed
and the Littiefeld bill dropped, the pun
lsnment Of what is commonly called pre-
datory competition would be abau-
doned- There are signs that this is tbs
disposition of congress; partly because
tine senate opposes this legislation Will
great energy and partly because there is
some doubt Of its onstitut.onality. II
docs seem a queer proceeding to punfsf
low prices as a crime And il would be
pity to endanger a whole anti tru-i
law by putting in one provision ths
courts might throw out. If there is IL
be legislation against predatory compe-
tition, 1t would seem wiser 10 put it il
EeDerate law"