Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-29
LOW ON HEPBURN BILL
HEAD OF THE CIVIC Fedora
TON ISSUES STATEMENT.

NEW YORK March 2S-Seth Low.
president Of the National Civic Federation.
issued a statement today in further ex-
PLANTATION of the Hepburn bill to amend
the Sherman anti-trus, law. This bill
was prepared under the auspices of the
National Civic Federatio and was intro
duced in the House of Representatives
March % 4 hearing has been arranged
on the bill before the House judiciary
con- mittee for Saturday next
Mr. Lows statement is in part as fol-
lows: The entire bill is optional and not
obligatory No one is obliged to register,
and no one. being registered. is Obliged to
file his contracts except in the single case
of a proposed new combination of corpora
tons or associations. Under existing laws
in many states no new railroad can be
built without first securing the consent OF
board of railroad commissioners. 1t
see ms TO be not unreasonable that IA pro-
pOSal to form a new comhlnatlOn ot1leT
tl.an railroad companies that may operate
in restraint of trade should similarly first
b" passed upon by some public authority.
Two Important Aspects.
The bill has two aspects: Toward the
past and toward the future. AS toward
exist ing combinations and contracts II
provides that those who register shall not
b. attacked by the government except up
on the ground that they operate In I'M
rec sonable restraint of trade. 1t also
provides statute of limitation or one
yea. after which no suits can be brought
by the govern ment on the ground OF &C
tions taken prior to the passage of the
anne nding act. AS toward: the future the
bill offers an opportunity for corporations
or merchants wishing to enter into a com
'binatfOn that may operate in restraint Oh
trade to learn by a quicker process than
through the courts whether the proposed
combination is likely to be attacked by
the government or not. II SUCH a contract
is filed and not disapproved within thirty
days the inference is that the admlnistra-
ton will not attack 1t. unless the changes
that time brings make what was original
ly reasonable. ultimately unreasonable:
ami II the government does attack Such
contract. ii assumes the burden OF PROOF
to show that 1t is unreasonable. On the
other hand. If the administration finds
such a contract unreasonable, it gives
ia notice to the makers.
Rights of Employees to Strike.
THE clause recognizing the rights of
employees to strike, to combine and to
make trade agreements and the co-rela-
tive right of employers to combination
and the discharge of employees is believed
to be what has been called a square deal
lit is not important to recognize what are
the limitations of the right of labor to
strike. to organic and to make trade
al reements. and the co-re!ative rights of
employers. because many labor men fear
that these have been called into question
by recent decisions of the Supreme Court
The Presidents Power.
Some think the President is given too
much power to demand information.
These people forget that the bureau of
corporations at the presen time has the
right to demand any information that 1t
wants from any corporation in the coun-
try doing interstate trade. They also have
failed to notice that the President must
make general regulations as to the infor-
defines the fields within which that infor-
nation can be asked.
The bill does injustice to nobody; for
nobody is obliged to take advantage of its
offer. So far as the offer is awaited of. it
will lead to the publicity which almost
every one desires in regard to business
combinations that may operate in re-
straint of trade. This result is likely to
have a tWo-fold advantage. First the d.
rectors of corporations that give publicity
are likely to be more careful to do MOTH
ing that ought not to be done than those
who do not give publicity. On the other
hand. much of the criticism of corpora
tons comes from the ignorance of the
general public as to their methods and
limit ations upon wrong doing. 1t is rea-
sonable to hope that publicity will secure
from the public a greater measure of sym
pathy for sound corporate management
than such management has been able to
command heretofore. There is touch
stone like knowledge to distinguish be-
tween good and bad.
Some regulation of restraint in trade
in general business has also probably
come to stay. The pending bill is tenta-
tive effort to deal with the problem in A
way that may be accepted. and may be
effective. 1t Is likely. at the very least,
to afford a large measure of publicity,
and that is believed to be in the public in
terest. and of itself likely to solve a
great many problems.