New-York tribune., 1909-09-01
TAFT COMMISSION BUSY
At WORK ON STATUTES.
President to Include Findings an
Message to Congress.

Considerable progress was made yesterday ny
President Tafts commission, appointed TO con-
slider changes in the Sherman antitrust act and
the interstate commerce law. II was learned
last evening that It doubtful whether any
Of the suggestions Of the commission would be
drawn up in the form Of statutes. The purpose
was rrimarilv 10 prepare for the President, in
line with the wishes expressed by him at the
conferences at Beverly. succinct statement TO
he Included as a recommendation in his message
to the Congress-
Mon in the government service especially IA
miliar with the two laws that are 30 he amend
ed may he called from time 10 time as some
point requires elucidation by an expert. IL may
he decided 10 call Frank j. keilogg. OF mime
apoiis. who had charge Of the prosecution ol
the suit against the Standard oil Company. In
his conduct OF the case, which was under the
Sherman law. the study II was necessary ior
him to make OF that act, II was said YESTERDAY
should stand the commission in good stead. A
man familiar with the situation, but who would
not hermit the use Of his name. said yesterday:
For any one to say just what The commission
win prepare fo- the President is impossible at
this fine II the matter could he explained
that is II the commissions actions were settled
SO far as TO make it possible to say what IL was
going 20 do-the work before 81 could he dis
posed Of within day. But the commission has
met to see what can be done. The President
would like 10 have the laws made more effec-
tive not necessarily more drastic. Whether
the punitive parts Of the acts viii be made
more severe is doubtful. do not mean that IL
may not he done.
'Tt should he borne in mind however, he
continued, that the commission is an advisory
body. It will give 10 each act. IN its report TO
tbe President. a distinctive field OF operation.
there IN
them will be removed The changes talked over
at Beverly may he made now in the light Of
many court decisions. These decisions have
shown just where changes would he elective
Years often have 10 pass before the weaknesses
become apparent in a vital law No act Of the
legislatures or Congress really becomes an actual
law until the courts have interpreted IT.
Charles A. Prouty. a member OF the Inter
state commerce Commission. was not at the
meetings at the Bar Association Buldng yes
torday. but Judson c. Clements. another MEM
her. was there. having been summoned from
washington by Martin A. Knapp. the chairman
OF tho body The work OF yesterday and the
day before consisted mainly in getting the ma
terial 10 he considered into shape for dis
cussion This was not finished. but IL was eX-
pected that it would be finished by this even
ing. The matter prepared viii be typewrit-
ten. and copies viii be given 10 each member
TO have at hand as the discussion proceeds
It is not likely that MIR. Wickerslam. the At
torney General, viii be absent from any OF the
sessions. lie was there yesterday, and with him
were Secretary Nagel Of the Department OF
Commerce and Labor; the Solicitor General,
Lloyd w Bowers; Charles r. Townsend, a Repre-
sentative from Michigan. and lir. Knapp and
Mr.. Clements, OF the Interstate Commerce Com
mission.
1t was said last night that the commission
.-5#g F,-
depends upon the time il viii take to arrive at
an agreement on the points they come up in
the examination OF the material prepared in the
preliminary sessions