Omaha daily bee., 1908-04-05
1t is Intended to Permit Reasonable
Organizations and Agreements.
GoMPERs MAKES LONG SPEECH
He Contends that Antitrust Law
Should Not Apply to Labor.
DEMANDS OF UNIONS OUTLINED
Property should he So Defined that
There shall he No Property
Rights in Labor of
Amy Person.

WASHINGTON, April 4.-The proposed
amendments to the Sherman antitrust DILL
as framed by the National Civic Fedora
tion and introduced in the house recently
by Mr. Hepburn Qowa), were advocated
today before IA subcommittee OF the house
judiciary committee by Hon. Seth Low OF
New York, president Of the Civic, Federa-
ton: Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor; A. B. Car
retson of Cedar Rapids, Ia, president of
the Order of Railway Conductors ana
Theodore r. Marburg of Baltimore. That
there is strong opposition to the proposed
measure was intimated by a number OF
telegrams made public by Chairman Lit
tlefield, of the subcommittee. from manu-
featuring and other business concerns
throughout the country.
The hearings will be continued Monday,
when counsel for a large number of firms
representing the opposition will be heard
Seth Low Of New York headed the dele
CATION that appeared for the measure. 1t
included the following:
Former Mayor Seth LOW f. II. Gary,
! Albert Shaw, Isaac n. Seligman, Victor
| Morawetz, Charles f. Moore, William j.
| Schiefflin. John S. Huyler, V. r.. Lacy,
! William c. Breed and Ralph M Easley' ,a,a all
of New York; President Gompers of the
American Federation OF Labor John
Mitchell of indianapolis. the retiring pres
ident of the United Mine Workers OF Amer,
! lea; d. ]. Kcefe of Detroit. Mich; Samuel
Mather, Cleveland o.; Henry l.. Higgin-
son of Boston, Franklin MacNeagh OF Chl-
cago, A. B. Garretson OF Cedar Kapid5,
Ia; Theodore Marburg Baltimore; Frank
| Faxan, Kansas City, Mo-; Mahlon Kline
! Philadelphia; Prof. ]. w. jerks, lthaea'
N. Y. and ]. w. Kinnear of Pittsburg.
Chairman Littlefield read a number of
kilograms from manufacturing and bust
| A..
ously protesting against the proposed
| amendments, and attorneys representing
nearly 300 associations of manufacturers
and business houses were present in the
interest of their clients.
Reasons of Seth Low.
Seth Low, in speaking of the objects Of
the National Civic Federation in preparing
an amended bill, said:
Common carriers should be permitted to
combine and to make traffic agreements
in proper cases and under suitable govern
mental supervision, for combination ana
traffic agreements often mean more ell
fective service for the public. What IS
wanted is effective public supervision and
not an absolute prohibition OF the very
thing that may secure the best public
service II is singular that a people who
have constituted the great republic in his
tory by the combination of many states
should even, for a moment, deny to IT'S
own commercial agencies the opportunity
of giving better service by proceeding along
the same lines. Regulation, not prohibi-
tion should be our watchword in all such
matters. There is scarcely line OF com
mercial business, If there be even one, in
/ ! which combinations in restrain of trade are
not sometimes desirable in these days in
the public interest, no less than In the in
/ terest of trade; for modern business is
very complex, and its problems are often
trade problems, distinguished from in
| dividual problems
No law can set aside the universal law
don - Tf
= and to do so precisely in proportion as they
! are intelligent and free.
the antitrust law is a penal one. Yet nc
one is able to be sure as to certain agree
ments whether they unlawful or not
respectfully submit that this is a stua-
tiun which is literally intolerable.
Only "a Few Affected.
Mr. Low pointed out that the bill tc
amend the Sherman act introduced by Rep
resentative Hepburn would affect only
, those corporations which would take out
national licenses. and thus be conserva-
tive method of testing how law on new
lines is likely to work. Said he
'If It becomes a law it is almost certain
to lead to a large measure of publicity
/ and that, in the opinion of many, it il
likely to be the cure for most of the evili
, that have been brought about by too muct
I legal restraint.
, There is much reason to believe thai
1 publicity will make the criticism of cor
1 porate undertakings more intelligent anC
therefore. in the main, more friendly,
! ''I'he National Civic Federation fully rec
ognizes that there may be honest differ
ences of opinion as to the general schem'
> of the bill under consideration, but whil'
the bill may not escape criticism we be
lieve 1t capable of good"
Gompers Sounds Warning.
Samuel Gompers, president OF the Ameri
can Federation OF Labor, was the principa
speaker at the afternoon session, and h.
, 1 sounded a warning that workingmen o
| the country would not wait much longe
, for the passage of remedial legislation.
Mr.. Gompers told of the request of tn
| Iaboring interests when the senate wa
: considering the original antitrust law, L
. have il amended to provide that the ac
shall not be construed to apply to an
: arrangements. agreements or combination
, between the laborers made with the viey
e of lessening the number Of hours or tn
y increasing OF their wages. nor arrange
e ments, agreements or combinations anon
e persons engaged in horticulture or agrt
e culture. made with a view OF enhancin
g the price Of agricultural or horticulture
IS products.
n at one time agreed 10. but was not in tn
h bill when II passed that body. In 1901.
said, a hearing was given by the hous
judiciary committee on this amendment
T II believe Mr.. IAttetield will remembe
that hearing" continued Mr. Gompers
II remember II quite we'll" replied NJ
IIttlefeId IT was one Of those who vote
against it,"
Mine voted against it, reioined NJ
Gompers. "and some Of them are not no
in congress- he added.
"a 1.-THE so-caled Sherman antitrust law,
o. continued Mr.. Gompers. lis not an ant
T trust law, II is law against combination
d. II Is a law against associated effort. II
ST a law something like Law wuhch ol
er tained about 2OOO years ago in Rome thu
m made every association or organizatio
se which was not approved by the emper'
,e unlawful.
Is "we favor the enactment OF laws whiC
Continued on Second Pass)