The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-08-21
COMMISSION HAS
TOO MUCH WORK
ON ITS HANDS
President Will Advise Relief of
Interstate Bureau.
CONFERENCE AT NEW YORK
Experts Will Also Discuss Proposed
Changes in Sherman Anti
Trust Law.

Washington, Aug 2l.-An impor-
tant conference will be held in New
York within the next two weeks to
consider proposed changes in the in
terstate commerce law and in the
Sherman antitrust law. Among those
who will be present will be Attorney
General Wickersham, Solicitor Gen
eral Bowers, Chairman Knapp of the
interstate commerce commission, Mr..
PrOuty member of that body and Re
preventative Townsend of Michigan,
who is a member of the house COM
mittee an interstate commerce and
who has made railroads and transpor-
tation a special study
The purpose of the conference will
be to suggest alterations in the lays
governing railroads and corporations
which are to be submitted to Presi-
dent Taft in order that he may in
cmde them in his recommendations TO
congress in his annual message,
The president has certain well de-
fined ideas as to the changes that he
considers necessary to facilitate and
make more effective the government
supervision OF the railroads on the
one hand and on tAe other hand to re-
lieye interstate commerce OF some un-
necessary burdens and restrictions.
He has requested that these experts
in the law and in the practical appli-
cation of the regulations shall get to-
gether and put into concrete shape
the plans he has in mind. With their
recommendations in hand he will dis
cuss them the leaders of both house
and senate when he returns to Wash
ington in the fall and will doubtless
also call into consultation practical
railroad men and captains of industry
He has already made definite engage
ments with Senator Cummins of Iowa
for the 10th of November and Repres-
entative Mann, the chairman of the
house interstate commerce commits
sion, for the 10Th of November to
meet him at the White House to dis
cuss this subject and to outline the
congressional campaign for the enact
ment of the legislation that he desires
and undoubtedly this subject viii
form one of the principal If not the
most important parts of his message
10 congress.
Although the presidents plans can
not be said to be entirely defined it is
known that the central idea is to di-
vest the interstate commerce commits
sion of its administrative functions
and to establish it as a quasi-judicial
body with the power to retermine ca
ses. enforce it's rulings and limit APP
peals only to the supreme court on
constitutional questions.
A . no mi C ginn 10 lnannH
down with multifarious duties which
occupy so much of the time that
long delays frequently occur in the
settlement of important questions. 1t
is proposed to turn over to bureau
of the department of commerce and
labor such matters as the administra-
ton of the law requiring safety appu-
ances on railroads, hours of employees
the informal settlement of minor ca
ses arising between shippers and the
roads. the filing of rates and the pre-
liminary investigation of complaints.
These matters now take up much of
the time of the commissioners.
II mas not yet been decided whether
these subjects should be turned over
to the bureau of corporations or
whether there should be a separate
division created to look after them,
but relieved of them, the railroad com
missioners would be in a position to
devote their time to the greater prob
lens of interstate trade and, by rem
dering speedier decisions relieve I'M
certainties which have in so many ca
SEES seriously retarded business for
months.
1t is also President Taft's belief as 1t
was President Roosevelts that rail-
roads should be relieved of the opera
lions of the Sherman antitrust law
and that they should be permitted to
make combinations and agreements
between themselves so long as they
are not in restraint of trade and pro
vided that they are more under the
supervision of the government He
also things that the penalties for the
formation of combinations which do
stiAe competition and are in res
traint of thare should be made heav-
Ter than under the existing law.
An important subject under -onsid-
Grafton is legislation giving to the
government control over the capital
ization not only of railroads but OF
all corporations doing an interstate
business. Before one of these corpor
atoms could issue new stocks or
bonds, it would, if the idea is worked
out. be compelled to show to the sat
isfaction of the government that it
had the property upon which to base
the issue. This would prevent over
Capitalization and the watering OF
stock in the future but the question is
undetermined as to whether he gov
eminent should also be authorized to
examine existing issues with the OBJ
iect of squeezing the water out OF
them