Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-29
anew TRADEMOvE.
President.Elect Proposes to Increase
Efficiency Of Corporate
Regulation
AS AMONG THE STATES
New judicial Bureau Will Work in
Conjunction With the Federal
Authorities.

From Mr.. Taft's friends 1t Is learned
that he is working out the details of
plan designed to increase the efficiency
OF government regulation Of corpora
lions doing an interstate business. Mr..
Taft declines to discuss the plan for
publication, but persons who have
talked with him say that 1t will fol
low the lines suggested by him in his
campaign speeches and will have as
its chief object the quick enforcement
Of laws already on the statute books.
Mr.. Tafts friends say that the pro-
posed plan will need legislation from
congress decreasing the powers of the
Interstate commerce commission. great.
ly increasing the powers of the bureau
Of corporations in the department OF
labor and commerce and creating a
practically new bureau in the depart.
ment of justice.
The general outline OF the plan is
described as follows: The interstate
commerce commission Is to be relieved
of its duties as an Investigating body.
1t Is to be a commission exercising
only quasi-judicial functions. The ju-
risdiction of the bureau of corporations,
Oh the other hand, is to he extended
over all corporations doing an inter
state business. 1t will be charged
with the detailed work of Investigating
and preparing cases.
This bureau, acting upon individual
complaints or upon its own initiative,
Will lay the results Of its investigations
before the Interstate commerce COM
mission for decision. 1t will originate
all cases. The new bureau in the de-
partment of justice will work In CO.
operation with the bureau of corpora
tions and the interstate commerce COM
mission when legal aid is necessary
Mr.. Taft's friends say that the pro-
posed plan does not contemplate the
licensing of corporations but that un-
der 1t corporations will probably be
obliged to submit to closer scrutiny by
the bureau of corporations.
1t is plain that Mr.. Taft's purpose is
to avoid the overlapping and duplica-
ton of work which has been COM
planned of under the present system.
The plan also is in direct line with
Mr.. Taft's frequently expressed wish
to do everything In his power to ex-
pedite the administration of justice in
this country. In his speech of accept
ance last July Mr.. Taft indicated
plainly enough that he regarded the
interstate commerce commission as an
overWorked body.
Will Become n Cabinet Post.
Under plan such as Mr.. Tafts
friends suggest the department of COM
merce and labor. containing the bureau
Of corporations, will become cabinet
post Of the first Importance. 1t Is said
that Mr.. Taft is fully alive to this, fact
and that he is devoting great deal
OF attention to the selection Of q man
for that portfolio. --..
Federal officers at Washington are
greatly interested in plans attributed
to Judge Taft evolving comprehen-
sive plan for the regulation of inter
state corporations that he will ask
congress to put into the form of law
Complaint has been made that the
present system of dealing with the cor
porations subject to regulatory laws is
unwieldly, resulting In an overlapping
of work that has frequently tended to
confusion and In some instances to de-
lay In the prosecution of cases insti-
tuted by one or the other of the three
branches Of the government which had