The Mena weekly star., 1908-04-09
TRUST LAW HEARING
HOUSE COMMITTEE LISTENS TO ksl GuMENTS FOR AND AGAINST
 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
SETH LOW SPEAKS FOR CIVIC FEDERA1la
Objects of the National Body In PreF pairing an Amended Bill Explans E
 to the congressmen-Teleeran. Read From Business Firms Who O. pose the Measure.

Washington, Apr. 5.-Arguments ia and against the proposition of ameuA ments to the Sherman antitrust aE recently introduced by Representatiys
 Hepburn on behalf of the NatIona
 Civic Federation, were heard Saturdag
 by a subcommittee of the house com
 mittee on the judiciary on which Rep
 resentative Littlefield of Maine, al
 chairman. Seth Low. of New Tori,
 headed the delegation that appeared
 for the measure.
 Chairman Littlefield read numba
 of telegrams from manufacturing and
 business firms throughout the coun. try, vigorously protesting against the proposed amendments and attorneH representing nearly 200 associations oi manufactures and business houses were present in the interest of ther clients. Seth Low, in speaking of the objects of the National Civic Federa ton in preparing an amended bill said.
 Common carriers should be permit ted to combine and to make trafc agreements in some cases and suitable governmental supervision: for comms sion and traffic agreements often mean more effective service of the public What is wanted is effective public supervision and not a absolutely pro hibition of the very thing that maI secure the best public service. It h singular that a people who have con
 tituted the greatest republic in bis gory by the commission of many states should even for a moment, deny that it's own commercial agencies the oF portunity of giving better service by proceeding along the same lines, Reg ulation, not prohibition. should be our watchword in all such matters, There is. scarcely a line of commercial bus mess if there be even one, in which commissions in restraint of trade are not sometimes desirable in these days In the public interest no less thaa in the interest of trade; for modem business is very complex, and is problems are often trade problems as distinguished from investment proe lems.
 No law can set aside the uniyersai law which leads men in these days 'o combine, and to do precisely in propor ton as they are intelligent and free
 "As a further aggravation of the situation the antitrust law is penal one, Yet no one is able to be sure ss to certain agreements whether thes are unlawful or not. I respectlur submit that this is situation wniea Is literally intolerable."
 Mir. Low pointed out that the bill l0 amend the Sherman act introduced ul Representative Hepburn would ahees only those corporations which woua take out national licenses, and thus Oe ! conservative method of testing nov a law on new lines is likely to wo'A Said he:
 ''If 1t becomes a law, it is almost cei .ain to lead to large measure ol " Dlicity, and that, in the opinion 7. many, is likely to be the cure io' most of the evils that have Drousn' lbout too great legal restraint.
 There Is much reason to Deiie's hat publicity will make the critlci'I ,f corporate undertakings more ih's igent, and therefore. in the maipun' ng, more friendly. r.
 The National Civic Federation lu's that there may be honss, iefense of opinion as to the geuea~ statement of the bill under diseuSsiOn, ut while the bill may not es0's, we believe 1t capaDle V