Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-13
IMPORTANT
CONFERENCE
IS RESUMED
SHERMAN ANTITRUST LAW IS
BONE OF CONTENTION
CIVIC FEDERATION SUGGESTIONS
MAY BE ADOPTED
President Roosevelt and Many Prom-
nent Men Participate in White
House scusson--Changes
Proposed Explained
nv AssociatedNPres

By Associated Press
WASHINGTON, March 12.--An inn
portant conference, begun at the White
House last night, was continued TO-
day, respecting amendments to the
Sherman antitrust law.
The changes In the law, 1t is ex-
pected, will be proposed along the. lines
suggested by the conference of the
Civic federation, held in Chicago few
weeks ago. No concrete results were
reached, and it is likely another con-
ference will be held.
The president, 1t Is understood, is de-
sirous that q bill embodying the con-
clusions of the conference, If any be
reached, be submitted to congress for
passage at this session.
Participating in the conference were
the president, Secretary Root, Secre-
tary Garfield, Attorney General Bona
parte, Herbert Knox Smith, commits
sioner of corporations; Seth Low, for
mer mayor of New York; Samuel
Gompers, president of the American
Federation of Labor; Victor Morawetz,
general counsel for the Atchison, To-
peka & Santa Fe railroad, and Francis
Lynde Stetson of the firm of j. r. Nor
gan & Co. of New York.
Ideas as Suggested
Mr.. Smith presented, in tentative
shape, some of the IDEAS offered at
the Civic federation conference In chi
cago. The form in which the sugges~
tions we're made was In that or Dill,
but 1t had not been reduced to detinlte
shape. 1t is said the proposed changes
are sof sweeping Importance, mas
much as, If crystallized into law, they
would mean practically reJuvenatloh
of the Sherman antitrust law.
While no agreement was reached, the
trend of the discussion indicated that
a common ground of understanding
shortly will be reached and perhaps
within a week measure VIII pc
drafted which will be satisfactory TO
all parties.
The particular interest of the labor
officers is to secure an amendment TO
the sherman law which will exempt
the unions from the practical operation
of the act as conspiracies In restrain.
of trade. A proposition of that kind
now is pending in congress, but In the
opinion of some of the participants IN
the White House conference 1t would
he unconstitutional if enacted in it's
present shape.
Other Amendments Proposed
Amendments were proposed relating
TO the operation of railroads, one pro-
viding that pooling, unoer proper re-
strictions, ought to be permitted py
law. II also was suggested that con-
solidations and traffic arrangements
ought not to be permitted by connect
ing lines under such arrangements as
would permit of abuse of that privilege.
An important amendment was also
proposed by which there would be fur-
ther regulation of corporations doing
an interstate business and providing
for reports from such officers to the
denartment of commerce and labor.
along the lines of the reports now made
by the railroads to the Interstate COM
merce commission. Such an amend
ment, ii was pointed out, would insure
proper publicity of the operations OF
interstate corporations and insure the
utmost fairness in all dealings with the
people. 49,.
1t was pointed out that with the en-,
actment of the amendments proposed
the government might begin anew its
work of dealing with corporations: In
fact, it was proposed that prosecutions
now in contemplation by the govern
anent against corporations under the
provisions of the Sherman act be aban-
doned If the proposed amendments
should be enacted into law :.