New-York tribune., 1908-03-20
MEASURES FOR LABOR.
Com pers's Demands Rejected by
President-H0pe of agreement.
rFrDni TIE Tribune Bureau.J ]

Washington March 19.-The most earnest ef-
forts are being made by the President and the
leaders in Congress to formulate legislative
programme for the remaining weeks OF this ses-
sion of Congress The President recently Sc
riousv interfered with the tentative pro-
gramme agreed on by the leaders which conteTn-
plated no important legislation other than the
financial bill, some provision for the preliminary
steps toward tariff revision and employers
liability bill. but certain committees Of Con-
gress have also contributed to the complica-
tion by asking the Civic Federation to prepare
bill so amending the Sherman antitrust act
as to make IL conformable to the business meth
DDS of the present day.
formal request was preferred TO that fed
Grafton according to ex-Mayor Low, the chair
man. ny the Interstate Commerce committees
of the two houses that the federation should pre-
pare a bill that will be fair to all interests; so
10 modify the Sherman act as TO make modern
methods lawful Mr.. Low said to-day that the
bill was not completed. but he hoped IT would
he early next week In the Senate it is de-
cIared that the chairman of the Senate Commit
tee. Mr. Elkins. but not the committee itself.
nraferred the request 10 the federation. In any
event the bill when completed will be intro
duced nv Representative Hepburn, of Iowa,
chairman of the House Committee on Interstate
Commerce.
SHERMAN LAW AMENDMENT.
r. - tho nurncse of the proposed bill sub
stftute for the prohibition against combinations
in restraint of trade" a clause which viii make
lawful certain combinations which now exist To
wide extent and which are admittedly not IN
unreasonable restraint Of trade; TO make pro-
vision for railroad traffic agreements; to provide
limitations which would prevent associations OF
farmers. laborers and others from being ad-
t,,dead Illegal; to make provision for federal
annraisement and certificatiOn of the value of
railroad and industrial securities, and possibly
some other changes which the President and
leading economists regard as important The
President is convinced that it is a travesty
law and an incentive TO grave injustice 10 retain
on the statutes wholesale prohibition Of COM
binations which modern business conditions
have rendered inevitable and which makes 1t
absolutely impossible to enforce literally the
terms OF the Sherman law In order. however,
10 make comprehensive and generally salts
factory measure, certain labor leaders We're in
yited 10 the conferences at which these ques-
tions have been discussed. with the result that
ne labor leaders have made such extravagant
demands that it has been impossible 10 comply
with them and harmony has departed from the
councils For instance. President GCmperS OF
the American Federation of Labor demands
that provision shall be made which VIII render
boycotts legal, that injunctions against labor
unions be prohibited and that courts be pro-
hibited from committing for contempt without
trial by jury, all of which propositions the
President emphatically rejects Fhe
charged with the responsibility of framing the
bill still he pc TO reach some sort of under
standing by the early part of next week. but the
indications are that even II they do not. they
will still present the bill without regard to the