The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-02
COMBINATIONS AND TRUSTS
CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO
Unusual Interest in it and Be- lief That Great Good
 Will Result.

New York, Sept. 1-That the National conference on trusts and combinations which is to be held in Chicago in Octo- Der will create unusual into'est already Is apparent. Scores of letters from men prominent in the various pursuits have been received by the National Civic Federation, under whose auspices the conference is to be held. Almost with out exception the expressions of the writers are highly con1mendatory and the opinion that great good will result from the exchange of ideas appears to be general. Among those who have written in this vein are the Rev. Dr. Lyman Abbott, DD., editor of The Out look; Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor; Rich ard Watson Glider, editor of The Cen tury; John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers of America; Judge Peter c. Grosscup of Chicago; Bishop Henry c. Potter; Charles G. Dawes, the Chicago banker; John M Stahl president of the Farmers Ma ttonal Congress and Nahum J. Bachel- der, grand master of the National Grange.
 | Dr. Abbott in his letter voices the sentiment which runs through all the communication when he says This is a time when we need light, not heat" Nearly all the writers believe that the greatest good will come from the wide publicity which will be given the trust | question as a, result of open discussion by the leaders of thought who will take part in the conference. Tt seems to me fundamentally true" writes Dr. Abbott, that the interests of the rail- roads, the shippers and the general public are essentially one, and that 1t is of the utmost importance that men representing all these classes should get | together, compare views and endeavot to come to some agreenent as to the general principles by which these com mon interests can be best served" Mir. Glider believes that This talk Will help to bring calmness and coolness to the public mind, and Heaven knows 1t needs them" Judge Grosscup says that it is full time that the corporations (which have grown up as developments of our business life without much ref lereence to their relationa to the people as institutions of, and for, the people be looked into as institutions of, and l for tho ,,aopIa v IlicI,ov> IJottor taal;axyae that by bringing the whole subject oi the administration of corporations into the light we may be assisted by the best intelligence of the land' in clear ing up a subject concerning which there is "so much ignorance and Sc much curious misapprehension." Thai the conference will be productive oi much good in that 1t will allow all sides to meet and freely express their opin- ion on what he regards as one of the greatest subjects the country has to deal with, is the opinion of President Gompers. John Mitchell also sees muct possible good in open and free discus sion. MT. Dawes regards the calling ot the conference at this time as highly useful piece of work, He believes that the industrial problems confronting the country to-day demand consideration by the best brains of the nation. Int questions to be discussed at the confer ence are declared by President Stah of the Farmers Congress to be "tht most important pressing for solution before our people to-day Grand Mas
 ter Bachelder believes 1t is time "foi serious people to discuss the trust prob lem when President Roosevelt and tn, law officers of the government, who's, duty it is to enforce the Sherman Anti Trust Act, openly say that under it tn
 business of the country cannot be dom
 to-day without violating It."