Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-09-21
PRESIDENT PROPOSES
NEW COMMERCE COURT
Present System Of Appeals From
Interstate Commission Makes
Delays Unavoidable.
OUTLINES PROJECT IN Detail
In Speech at Des Moines the Execu-
tive Makes Public What viii be
One of His Most Important Recon-
mendations to congress-street Car
Strike at Omaha.
by Associated Pressl

(By Associated Press1.
DIES MONIES. IOWA. Sept 90
During the little more than four hours
he-~spent here today President TAFT
made an open air address to an i'm
mense crowd gathered from all the
surrounding country in which he dis
cussed in detail the changes he Will
recommend to congress in the inter-
state commerce and antitrust laws.
The President announced that he
would urge the establishment OF an
interstate commerce court of five
members TO consider appeals from
rates fixed by the interstate COM
merce commission. He will also re-
commend legislation to prevent an In
ter-state railroad company from own
ing stock to dispose of their holdings
within a given time. Legislation 10
prevent the over issue of stocks and
bonds and the watering CT stocks VIII
be strongly urged, the Presidents pro-
position being that no stock shall be
issued except by permission OF the in
terstate commerce commission, after
inquiry has been made into their
necessity
The giving to the shippers of the
choice of routes in the shipment OF
fruit is another important provis-
ion which the President favors.
Antitrust Law.
Regarding the antitrust law, ne
said:
Il am strongly inclined to the view
that the way TO make the antitrust
law mere effective is to narrow its
scope somewhat, so that it shall not
include in it's prohibition and denun-
citation as a crime anything but a
conspiracy or commission or contract
entererd into with intent to monop-
Ollie or suppress competition in inter-
state trade.
1T has been suggested that the law
ought to limit its denunciation TO
those contracts in restraint of trade
that are unconstitutional. | do not
favor any such limitation. Ii seems 10
be proposed to leave it to the judges to
decide what contracts in restrain or
trade ought to be permitted to exist
and to be enforced on general grounds
Of public policy; in other words to
have the court attempt TO draw some
lines between good and bad trusts.
as If the suppression or competition In
some cases was a good thing and in
other cases was bad.
Can Make no Distinctions.
Il cannot agree that such distinction
could be properly made
"AH combinations to suppress COM
petition or to maintain a monopoly
in whole OF in part to suppress trade
are in violation of the trust law and
should be punished and there is not
room fer the expression reasonable OF
unreasonable in this general view OF
the statute
Il am entirely opposed to exception
from the operation Of any law or gen.
cral application class of persons Ike
laborers or working men or farmers
OF ministers or teachers OF lawyers.
Take the present antitrust law, IN
sert a special exception TO the appli-
cation OF that law by providing that
IL should net apply TO the trade union
class. and il would be legislation OF
the most vicious character.
The two statutes which must claim
the attention OF our congress al its
next session are the interstate CON-
merce saw and the antitrust laws.
Another series OF questions for con
grcss are with reference 20 the
conservation OF resources. These !
shall not discuss now, but shall do SO
later in my journey.
wHI Consume All the Time
The monetary commission viii
probably report so tina; its final con-
cIusion may be considered AZ the end
Of the coming session CT at the begin
ming Of the next In any event as We
lock forward 20 the work which this
congress shall do we must be con-
Sc Gus tia; the measures ! have pro-
posed will consume all the time there
is
All Trusts Bad.
IN taking Nd the antitrust law Nr.
Taft declared that he knew Of no
way IN which a distinction could be
-