Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-23
PLAN FOR REGISTRATION
How Benefits Of Proposed Act May
Be Secured.
CONCESSIONS MADE TO LABOR
Eight to Existence and to Strike
Restored to Unions-Outline
of the Measure.

and of labor to relieve the stringency of
the Sherman antitrust law was intro
duced in the House today by Represent a
tive Hepburn of Iowa. chairman of the
committee on interstate and foreign COM
merce. 1t was referred by Speaker Can
non TO that committee for consideration
and report and it is understood that
President Roosevelt will in a message to
Congress make a recommendation con-
corning it.
There is no information .on, which to
frame a prediction of the failure sue
cess Of the bill in the House, nor will
there be until hearings have been given
in committee. Party leaders today pre-
fessed to be wholly ignorant OF the de-
tails Of the bill and to have only a gen.
oral understanding Of its purpose.
Rights OF Labor Unions.
One OF the most interesting sections of
the federation bill is that which seeks to
relieve organized labor from the sup
pressive effects Of the recent Supreme
Court decision declaring labor unions to
be conspiracies in restraint of trade. and
therefore unlawful. The BILL broadly
speaking, aims to restore TO unions their
right of peaceable existence, including the
right to strike. but leaving them still
amenable to the Sherman act in the mat
ter of boycotts. picketing and similar
coercive practices. The section is as
follows:
Nothing in said act approved July ,.
1890 or in this act. is intended. nor shall
any provision thereof hereafter be en-.
forced SO as to interfere with or to re-
strict any right of employees to strike for
any cause, or to combine or to contract
with each other or with employers for
the purpose Of peaceably obtaining fpom
employers satisfactory terms for their
labor or satisfactory conditions of en-
ployment. or so as to interfere with or TO
restrict any right Of employers for any
cause to discharge all or any of their
employees. or TO combine or to contract
with each other or with employees for the
purpose of peaceaby obtaining labor on
satisfactory terms"
Conditional Immunities.
The bill submitted by the National Civic
Federation does not attempt to change
the legal status of anything condemned
as in restraint Of trade under the Sher-
man antitrust act: but 1t aims to pro-
vide a way by which. under certain con-
dftions. combinations and contracts in re-
straint OF trade that are not unreasonable
may be saved from attack. The benefits
and immunities offered by the proposed
bill. therefore, will be in the main con-
fined to those who register In accordance
with the terms of the bill. Common car
riers may register with the interstate
commerce commission. ana all others WIN
the commissioner of corporations in the
Department OF Commerce and Labor. 1t
is proposed to amend. section { of the
Sherman antitrust act by cutting out the
provision for three-fold damages, reduc-
ing the amount that can be collected to
Law. Everybody. whether registered or
not. will get the benefit of this provi-
sion.
Both corporations for profit and having
nv,ty ot - al f<y-
profit and not having capital stock may
register. but neither is obliged to do so.
This description is intended to include CO.
operative organizations. as we'll as busi-
ness corporations. agricultural and labor
organizations, and the like. II they do
register. they get the benefits of the act.
~ they do not register. they remain I'M
der the Sherman antitrust law, unamend-
ed. In order TO register corporations for
profit and having capital stock are obliged
TO give such information in regard TO their
financial condition. their contracts and
their corporate proceedings as may be
prescribed by general regulations from
time TO time to be made by the President
OF the United States.
Corporations not for profit and not hav-
ing capital stock in order to register must
set forth their charter or agreements of
association and bylaws. the place of their
principal ONCE and the names of their d.
rectors or ma naging officers. and standing
committees, II any. with their residences.
Any corporation or association that is reg
istered may be stricken from the registry
If it shall fail at any time to file the
statements or to give the information re-
ouired under this act. or to comply with
tire requirements of this act. or in case
Information furnished by 1t shall be false
in any material particular. Any one feel
ing aggrieved by the decision to remove
ii from registry has an appeal to the
courts.
Supervision Of Contracts.
Being upon the registry. the corpora
ton, or association. or individual gets GER
tain immunities as to the past. and the
benefit Of provisions by which it can
ascertain as to future contracts whether
these will OF will not be attacked by the
government as in unreasonable restraint
OF trade. AS to future combinations or
contracts the government IS given thirty
days in which TO disapprove any contract
or agreement filed by a corporation or
association registered under the act: and
IL within thirty days the governor does
not d!sapprove the contract the govern
ment cannot thereafter attack 1t except
through the courts and then only on the
ground that IL is in unreasonable restraint
Of trade Contracts or agreements call
ing for new business combinations must
be filed. Contracts or agreements entered
into in the ordinary course of business
may be filed or not at pleasure. Such
contracts, II not MED. do not get the bene-
At of the immunities Of the new act. but
nobody is obliged to file such a contract
unless he wants TO do so.
As to Prosecution.
AS TO the past. il Is proposed that all
pending actions may be prosecuted and
defended to final effect. precisely as
though the Sherman antitrust law had
not been amended; but that no new pro-
ceedings shall be begun under the Sher-
man antitrust law on account of any
contract agreement or combination made
prior to the passage OF the amending act,
unless the same be in unreasOna BILE re-
straint of trade; and no suit at all shall
he begun by the United States as to reg
istered corporations or associations under
the Sherman antitrust law after one year
from the pa ssage of the amending act.
In view Of the doubt that has been
raised In the minds of many as to whether
the Sherman antitrust act does not make
even 81 strike unlawful. clause is inclu,l-
ed in the bill distinctly reserving for labor
all rights that they have now, irrespective
OF the Sherman antitrust act. to COM
bine and TO strike and to make trade
agreements: and reServing for employers
OF labor the correlative rights TO combine
and to discharge their employees.
Two Victims Of Engine Explosion.
MARGARETVILLE. y. Y, March 23.-
A. Delaware and Hudson locomotive blew
up at Schenevus. a village fifteen miles
I.