The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1903-02-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
washington, February Q, 1903.

week, and as result the anti-trust pro-
gram suggested by the senate leaders has
been practically completed. This pro-
gram has received the entire approval of
the president, and only the adoption by
the house of the Elkins bill remains to
round out all that the republican leaders
propose to do In the line of trust control.
The legislative accomplishments for
trust control will consist Of: (1) an ap-
propriation of $5O0,00O for the employ
ment of expert legal assistance In the
prosecution Of antitrust cases; (2) the
passage of a law expediting antitrust
cases In the courts, including the appeal
of such cases to the supreme curt with
out trial by the courts of appeal; (3) the
prohibition of rebates and equal liability
for grantor and receiver, provided by the
Elkins bill, which has still to receive the
approval of the house; (4) the amend
ment of the bill creating a department Of
commerce and labor, whereby there Is to
be appointed a commissioner of corpora
tions, whose duty 1t shall be to gather
statistics regarding Industrial corpora
tions for the use of the president and the
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 president, the
interstate commerce commission Is to re-
main intact, and with the powers con-
ferred on 1t by the Elkins bill will be
greatly increased In Importance and abil-
ity to remedy such evils as have hereto
fore attended the management of trans
portation companies and corporations.
Senator 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 hereto
fore included an authorization of the rail-
ways to "pool" for the maintenance of
rates, and conferred power on the inter-
state commerce commission to pi ohibit
unreasonably high rates. 1.-THE bill, In
It's present form,' said the senator, meets
with the approval of everyone who under
stands its provisions. It Is simple and
can be easily comprehended. There Is
nothing about it which will run counter
to the decisions of the courts, and 1t Is in
no danger of being condemned as uncon-
stitutional. 1t was unanimously adopted
by the senate, which proves that it pleases
the democrats as well as the republicans.
have every confidence that the bill. VIII, n
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 difficulties In the way
of remedying their evils. Representative
Littlefield, speaking of the antiquity of
the trust problem, traced 1t back to the
year $500 B. c., and said of It, Like the
poor 1t is always with u.s." The passage
of the bill by the house was really more
of form than otherwise, as 1t had al
ready been announced by the senate lead
ers that it could not pass the upper cham
ber, and would not even receive consider
alton by that body. The house commit
tee on commerce meets tomorrow to dis
cuss the Elkins bill, and 1t Is expected to
pass In the near future, Notwithstanding
the fact that many members feel consid-
erably chagrined at the side-tracking of
their favorite measure by the senate.
The prospects of an extra session of
the senate continue to increase as the 4th
of March approaches, with no further con-
sideration Of the important treaties now
before that body. The statehood debate
hangs on in dispirited fashion, and the
lack of interest displayed would be, in
itself, sufficient evidence that a compro.
mise on the subject Is expected. Sena-
tors Aldrich, Hale, Lodge and Quay have
held two conferences on the subject, ami
all predict compromise at an early date,
although they have not yet been able to
get together. The plan which it is ex-
pected will be adopted will provide for
two states, one to be composed of Okla
homa, with the provision that Indian
Territory shall be added when the Dawes
commission concludes the allotment of
the Indian lands, the other of Arizona
and New Mexico. This plan is by no
means satisfactory to the democrats, but
they may conclude that it Is better than
nothing, or than an extra session of con-
gress, which might not mean anything
for the aspiIants to statehood.
There seems to be little doubt that the
senate will meet In extra session after the
4Lh Of March for the ratification of the
treaties now before it. There is consid-
erable opposition to the Alaskan treaty,
and Senators Turner and Foster of Was :
ington have informed your correspondent
that they will vote against its ratification
At the same time Senator Lodge, who
has just completed canvass of the SEN
ate on this convention, informs your cor
respondent that 1t will be ratified as soon
as sufficient time for Its consideration can
be secured. Senator Lodge says that the
opposition Is based on a 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 convincing the
present opponents of the arrangement
that 1t Is worthy of approval, and the best
that the United States can make under
the circumstances.
Minister Bowen's rough and ready meth
DDS Of discussing diplomatic affairs came
very near causing rupture of the pres
ent negotiations during the past week.
Mr.. Bowen Is very direct and frank In his
methods, and pursues what is popularly
called ''shirt-sleeve diplomacy" These
methods proved severe shock to Sir
Michael Herbert and Baron von Stern
berg, and they attempted to take an
appeal to the president over Mr.. Bowen's
head. They went SO far as to ask the
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