Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-05
Speaker Cannon Polite to the Ladies
Everywhere = DoIIiver Busy Work.
ing for Measure to Control Capital
Issue of Corporations Gets
Backset.

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''trottins up to the department of JUS
tice. trying to get it to take some ac-
ton on the prosecution of the Watcn
trust. But it isn't going to act
Mr. Rainey started on the trail of the
watch trust something like two year:
ago and managed to get a lot of dust
mixed up with the works. He opened
his fight on the house floor with some
speeches in which he told about the
and abroad and brought testimony to
show that watches are sold abroad for
less than at home, under contract that
they shall not be permitted to come
back to the United States.
Having aired his theme on the house
floor and started one of the most en-
pertaining tariff debates of recent
years. Mr.. Rainey took his materials to
the department of justice and enlisted
the trust busters there in his case.
They announced that the watch trust
would be investigated forthwith and
proper steps taken.
That's all that has been heard of It..
Whether in fact the investigation
showed that the trust didn't really eX-
list, or whether there was some other
reason, no prosecution has been start
ed.
i've been doing everything I can to
get them to start something's" eX-
fine assurances right along, but that's
all. They Investigated, and they found
that all I charged was true: that
watches are sold abroad cheaper than
at home: that contracts are made in
selling watches, movements and cases
to retailers, under which they are
bound to adhere strictly to a fixed
scale OF prices: that dealers are COM
PEELED to handle trust goods exclusive
ly, on pain of having their supply OF
trust watches and materials cut off en-
tirely if they deal in anything else.
81 made brief of the case for the
department., setting forth all the ma
terials | had gathered; then some of
the independent watch makers did the
same thing The department looked in
to the matter and found proof of all
the briefs charged. Still there's moth
ing doing.
Il think l know why they don't
move, however. Section . of the Sher-
man antitrust law provides that it
shall be a crime for an American citi-
zen to enforce contract that shall re-
strict trade between the United States
and a foreign country. Now. the watch
trust does that, for it compels foreign
buyers to contract and give bond. not
to re-ship American watches back to
this country of course they don't
want 'em to come back here. and be sold
at prices below those enforced by the
trust in the American market.
"That contract is a crime against
the Sherman law. Investigation and
public prosecution of the trust would
bring out, in the most bald and I'M
avoidable fashion, the fact that under
cover of the high tariff this trust is
the Sherman law. Doubtless
other trusts are doing the same thing:
this one certainly is doing it. The
administration doesn't pro-
pose to start a case which will be GER
tain to demonstrate, as it has never
been done before, not only that prices
are Intentionally made lower on AM
erican goods abroad than at home. but
that this is done by protected trusts in
of the antitrust law. It
would make too good a case for the
revisionists. But I guess some means
will be found to exploit the facts.
The public is going to get them"
There is no man in Washington who
doffs his hat with more elegance to
woman than Speaker Cannon. Neither
is there anybody who can turn COM
pliment with more delicacy than the
speaker when he wants to do so.
The other morning the speaker was
leaving the White House, when Senator
Smith, of Michigan, with a young man
and a young woman in tow, stopped
him. 1t CHANGED that the young man
was the speaker of the Michigan
house of representatives, and the young
was his bride. The youthful
speaker had been a supporter of Smith
for senator, and the latter was natur
ally doing all in his power to be
Il want to introduce Michigan's
speaker to the speaker Of the whole
United States" he said in making the
Uncle Joe expressed qualification at
noticing that there were bright young
nen growing up to the speaker BUSH |
hess. and then the senator proceeded |
o introduce the wife Of the young
statesman from Michigan. The veter- |
IN leader of the house raised his hat |
bowed handsomely and said:
81 have always maintained that they |
produce the homeliest men in Michigan
hat come from anywhere in the United
states-and the handsomest women"
Senator Dollver has been at the
White House with some frequency OF |
ate. for the purpose, ii is understood. /
# conference about the progress of /
us measure to give the federal gov |
rnment control of capital issues of
reat corporations. Fer more than
ear the IoWan has been studying the
ractice of other countries and the I
leeds of this concerning this matter.
IL had bill just about completed for
when along came the su-
RENE court With decision on the en-
loyers' liability act and spoiled the !