Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-30
TRUST POWER ON WANE.
One Of The Significant Results Of
Defeat Of -Four Ball|sshIps.
STEEL TRUST WORK HAD NO EFFECT
Senators Known as Most Friendly
TO the Great Corporations Are
Found Opposing the Trusts Wishes
Administration Friendly Toward
Steel Maanates.

WASHINGTON, d. c., April 90
/ The activity of tho United states
Steel Corporation, vulgarly known as
3 me steel trust, in advocacy of Pres.
ident Roosevelt's four-battleship prom.
osition was ono of the features OF
the fight which ended by the Senate
adopting the provision OF tho naval
bin as 1t camo from the House. pro.
viding for but two battleshlps this
year. The steel people wcrc well
represented In Washington during
tho fight IL was n fact known very
generally that ono of The shrcwdest
officials of the company. though not
one of the highest. was here. and had
been here for several weeks helpIng
direct the fight for four Dread.
noushts,
rms trust representative was In
frequent conference with the ndvo.
Gates of the four battleships PROPOSE.
ton, and 1t is assorted that much of
the information which speakers In
the Senate and House used in their
arguments was obtained from him.
3 ne occupied Il seat In the Senate gal.
lery whiio Senator Beyerdge was
making his argument for four battle
ships. Shortly before MIR. Beyeridge
began tho trust man was In the mar.
Die room, supposedly for the purpose
or converslng with certain senators.
Corporation Senatora In New Role,
IL is not charged for one moment
mat any senator or member of the
House was unduly influenced by the
steel trust In tho matter or His posi-.
tien on the battleship proposition. AS
matter OF fact, several senators VIII
are generally charged with strong
trust proclivities, to put 1t very mild.
", voted against authorizing four lat,
tleships,
Senator Aldricl, for Instance, who
ms never been accused by anybody
With being mfricndly to corporations
Sombinations and monopoles. oppos
ed authorizing more than Two bnttle
ships, and his opposition was oven
more Vigorous than the Rhode Island
I senator usually displays wnen fight
ing n proposition. Other senators
and House members who have been
regarded as being rather friendly to
trusts, voted against the steel trusts
I battleshlp proposition.
The attitude of so many members
of the two Houses opposing tho thing
SO strongly urged by the greatest OF
stii corporations was deeply signin-
cant OF the changed conditions In
washington. Five years ago. certain.
,sly ten years ago. II would have heen
perfectly safe to wager that the steel
corporation would have won such u
hghtf II may very well be that popu.
lar sentiment against corporations as
reflected in the two houses OF Con.
sress unduly influenced senator's and
. members to vote for two battlcships
because the steel trust wanted four.
President Friendly to steel.
The Roosevelt administration bas
never displayed any hostility towards
Z tho steel corporation. Although 1t
has capitalization of $1,000 900 900.
q greater sum than that represented
IN the stock of any other corporation
IN the world. and while 1t controls the
production of steel as thoroughly ms
the output of any article Is controlled
" combination. there has never
been "a hint from the department. OF
Justice or the White House that its
affairs might he investigated and
prosecution instituted against II.
indeed, last fall the representatives
of the steel trust secured from tho
White House permission to absorb
the tennessee Coal and Iron Company,
great competing corporation. and
TOOK over the property of this latter