The Washington times., 1908-04-03
President Said to Be De-
tern.med That Con-
greSS Shall Pass Re-
form Measures.
Wants Action in Anti
Trust, AntiInjunction,
and Employers La
blilty Legislation.

= -
The possibility Of Congress being
called IN special session. Immediately
after the adjournment Of the present
session. II before adjournment no action
Is taken on the matters included in the
Presidents legislative program. Is said
I In high quarters 10 be growing serious
The President IS getting very much in
earnest about forcing action on JIlu
! measures to which he is committed The
situation has not improved since his
recent message. because, while the vvav
/ for the AIdrich bill has somewhat been
cleared, the prospect for anu-injunetion
1 legislation has not improved the en-
/ pioyers liability bill reported from the
/ House Judiciary COMMITTEES is regarded
/ by The supporters Of such legislation as
I entirely unsatisfactory and unlikely 70
I Iaeet the Presidents approval and the
various interests concerned with the
antitrust leg station are jusc nov in a
new ana serious disagreement about
what course should be pursued
LntiInaLOo has been conveyed 70 some
I OF the PRESIDENTS advisers. il Is under
sSood, J.e- there IS yet a possibility
/ OF another message TO Congress. con
CernlnS the antitrust legislation There
$ also vigorous intiulatiOu thar certain
Z proposals as 70 modification Of this leg
islauOn would call forth a veto IL tlsv
should De crystalHzed into an s~r ~
congress In short, the whole situation
{ j. Iast getting ripe for sensational de-
Feiopments, whose possibility is believed
i 70 be more imminent than has hereto
lore been announced.
Breakfast With Low.
Seth Low. president Of the Civic Fed
/ eaJlon' which took the lead in draft
/ Ing the Hepburn-Low measure for modi-
J ficafiOn 4 the antitrust act. breakfast
ed with the President today. and he
legislative situation as TO that measure
Is understood 10 have been gone over
With care. No announcement has. been
made as 10 any results reached. but il
IS known that the situation is fast be-
/ coming highly Interesting
( some OF the Pres'dent-s most fnfuen-
tlal advisers have urged upon him the
( policy Of calling Congress IN extra ses-
sion. If it fails 10 get results as to
I matters which he esteems ,ltal II this
/ tine. and keeping it here until il votes
i On lncse bills. OF course. the President
1 cou4dnt force Congress 10 pass any
I lhlug- but his advisers have taken the
( positiCf that the results are safe
] snyugl. only Congress can be
; brought 10 vote. That the vote would
I oe reached and that without undue de-
I lay. IS believed pretty certain in view
( Of The fact that the Presidential cam
D Tar as can be learned. has thus far Is
I tened 20 MS advisers without commit
I tiEs himself, but he has given signs OF
/ persistent determination TO get results
FavOTS Hepburn Bill.
II develops that the Chief Executive
Is taking much more interest in behalf
Of the Hephurn-Low bill than is Ee7er-
ally known Some OF the aanufactur-
ers' associations and chambers OF GEM
merce and like bodies have assumed 10
be able 70 read into this measure a
legaHzation Of the boycott The men
! WhO drew the bill are positive thar IL
contains noJhlng OF the sort, among
lneIn Such lawyers as Francis Lynda
StetSou and Victor Morawetz- VINO rep
resent interests which .zUuId cerLStuIv
oppose such legalization, and Herbert
Knox smith. Commissioner Of CORPORA
tinns- The opposition 10 the bill. based
on this charge. Is not considered sincere.
and II has been exaSperatin- 10 thu
people who are bent on getting a fair
consideration OF the bill on its merits.
Among these the President. 4
To compiiCate the situation further
a considerable interest OF powerful in
nuenCes m New York has developed q
theory that the only thing needed is
TO insert In the present antitrust law
the word unreasonable" so that il
shal modify combinations in restraint
Of trade and make the law apply only
20 those cOmbina tions fudiciaily held
unreasonable" " This Is regarded as cal
culated 10 take every tooth out OF the
present law and TO substitute nothing.
The President would confidently be ex-
peCted TO send a message 10 CongreSs
in opposition 10 any such attempt as
compromise by surrender an6 TO veto
the measure if Il should pass.
Ideas About Power.
The whole idea of placing In the hands
OF the court the function OF CLASSIFYING
trusts and combinations as good or bad.
reasonable or unreasonable. is foreign
10 the Presidents conception Of a de-
sUable policy. lie wants some execu-
tive department endowed with this DOW
er, and believes the proposal Of the
/ Hepburn-Low bin, 70 place this author
ity in the hands Of the Commissioner OF
4 Corporations as 10 combinations other
than railroads, and OF the interstate
commissions as 70 railroads, Is the best
Yet developed.
he has made Il very clear to people
who have discussed the matter with
him. that he would veto any measure
/ giving these functions 10 the judiciary.
be does believe that the Governments
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