Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-12
Senator Knox Preparing to Take
Active Part in New
Legislation.
1T IS NOT HIS FIRST MOVE
AS Attorney General, Keystone States
Representative Secured Passage of
Acts in Regulation of Carriers.

Special Correspondence.
Washington, d. c., Feb. s,-President
Roosevelt. in his recent message to
Congress, strongly recommends addl-
tional legislation TO make effective the
antitrust laws. He says: mot on
y should there be such action on GER
tain laws affecting wage earners;
there should also be such action on
laws better to secure control over the
great business concerns engaged III
interstate commerce, and especially
over the great common carriers
The recommendation of the presi-
dent is quite likely to be carried into
effect during the present Congress,
and if legislation is undertaken along
this line Senator Philander c. knox'
of Pennsylvania, will have an import
ant part in 1t. Senator Knox was
the pioneer government official IN the
work of bringing the transportation
corporations under federal control and
Is conceded to be the best informed
man in the country upon this SUBJ
ject
KNOWS FIRST STEPS
1t was Mr. Knox then attorney-gen-
eral who in 1902, recommended to Con-
gress that in respect to railroad re-
bates a penalty should be imposed
upon the Incorporated carrier and the
beneficiary alike and that the rights
of the courts to restrain such prac-
tise at the suit of the United States
should be provided for in new legis-
lation He recommended that 1t should
be made unlawful to transport traffic
by carrier subject to the Act to Reg
ulate Commerce" and at any rate
less than such carriers published rate
mr. haf oil tyh
violation of such laws should be pun
ished He recommended that compre-
hensive plans should be framed to en-
able the government to secure all the
facts bearing upon the organization
and practise of concerns engaged in
Interstate and foreign commerce essen
tial to a full understanding thereof.
He recommended the act to suspend
the final decision of cases under the
antitrust law. All of these cases
were promptly acted upon and became
laws before the expiration of that ses-
sion of Congress.
NORTHERN SECURITIES.
The act to expedite the hearing and
determination of suits under the anti
trust and interstate commerce acts was
passed Feb. H. 1903 Under its pro-
visions the Northern Securities case
was set down for argument before the
circuit judges of the Eighth circuit and
argued in March, 1903.
On Feb. Ia. 1908, the department of
commerce and labor was created and
In that department the bureau of cor
porations established, completing the
government power to make inyestiga-
ton into the organization, conduct,
management and business of all cor
porations engaged In Interstate and
foreign commerce.
Along the line of his suggestions al
ready indicated, and pursuant to 9th
ers which he made Congress also
amended the interstate commerce law
by providing that anything done or
omitted 10 be done by n corporate COM
mon carrier subject to the act, which If
done by an employe thereof, would
constitute q misdemeanor under the
law. should also be held to be a mis-
demeanor committed by such corpora
ton; requiring every common carrier
subject to the law to publish his tariff
rates or charges and to maintain |
them: making it unlawful for any per-
son or corporation to offer, grant, or
give, or TO solicit, accept, or receive |
any rebate, concession or discrimina-
ton in respect to the transportation of |
any property in interstate or foreign |
commerce. whereby such property shall |
by any device whatever be transported |
at less rate than the rate published
by the carrier; and also making the
rate published and filed with the in
terstate commerce commission the le-
gal rate.
1t provided also for the production
Of all books and papers, both by car
rier and shipper, which directly or in
directly relate to the transactions. and
he giving of testimony, whether such
documents can incriminate the party
)r not.
The inseparable Identification of Mr..
Knox with all these measures is proven
lot only by the recommendations which
ne made from time to time, but by the
act that he prepared bills embodying
very idea in the legislation enacted
or the correction of the evils over
which the government has gained its
plendid triumphs.