The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-30
FOR DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
conferees Appointed on the Nelson
Amendment


WASHINGTON,t d. c., Jan. %
The senate committee on commerce to-
day heard the report of the subcom
m1ttee appointed to analyZe the de-
partment of commerce bill as it pass
ed the house and make suggestions as
to what, if any, amendments should
be made, but decided to report the bill
back to the senate without amend
ments and ask for a conference with
the house. Accordingly, the bill was
thus reported to the senate by SEN
ator Hanna, and the senate ordered
conference, with Senators Hanna, Nell
son and Clay as conferees on the part
of the senate.
The senators appointed to represent
the senate are the men who have act
ed as the subcommittee, and their eff
forts will be directed toward securing
amendments along the lines recon-
mended by the subcommittee. The
principal amendments relate to the
provisions authorizing the president
to transfer the interstate commerce
commission to the proposed depart
ment, and to the amendment for bu-
reau Of corporation inserted by the
house.
The trust provision constitutes sec
ton of the house bill and the senate
committee will ask for a modification
of that provision, which will direct
obtainable information concerning cor
porations, and which will authorize the
publicity of such information at the
discretion of the president. The COM
mitttee also adheres to it's opposition
to the inclusion of the interstate COM
merce commission in the new. depart
ment.
The text of the proposed trust
| amendment follows:
Section 6.-That there shall be in
the department of commerce and labor
a bureau to be called the bureau of
corporations, and a commissioners of
corporations, who shall be the head of
said bureau, appointed by the presi-
dent, who shall receive a salary of
$4,000 per annum. There shall also be
in said bureau deputy commissioner,
who shall receive a salary of $500 per
annum, and who shall, in the absence
of the commissioners, perform the du-
ties of commissioner of corporations
and such other duties as may be as
signed to him by the secretary of COM
| merce and labor or by the said COM
missioner. There shall also be in the
| same bureau a chief clerk and such
special agents, clerks and other en-
ployes as may be authorized by law.
THE said commissioner shall have
power and authority to make, under
the direction of the secretary of COM
into the organization, conduct and
management of the business of any
corporation, joint stock company or
corporate combination engaged in COM
merce among. the several states and
nations, except common carriers, sub
ject to an act to regulate commerce,
approved Feb. 4, 1887, and to gather
such information and data as will en-
able the president of the United States
to make recommendations to congress
for legislation for the regulation of
such commerce 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.
I'm order to accomplish the purpose
| of this section, the said commissioner
| shall have and exercise the same pow
| er and authority in respect to corpor-
ations, joint stock companies and COM
missions, 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 may
! 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-
quirements, obligations, liabilities and
immunities imposed or conferred by
| said act to regulate commerce and by
| an act lin relation to testimony before
| the interstate commerce commission,
ETC., approved Feb. II, 1893, supple
mental to said act to regulate COM
merce,' shall also apply to all persons
who may be subpoenaed to testify as
witnesses or to produce documentary
evidence in pursuance of the authority
| conferred by this action