The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-09-22
INTERSTATE COMMERCE
AND ANTITRUST LAW

AND ANTITRUST LAWS
 In his speech at Des Moines, Ia. President Taft took up the. matter of kulAlling the pledges of the National Republican platform with regard to khe interstate commerce and anti ffrust laws, but expressed a doubt bwhether the next session of Congress lFouJd be long enough to complete
 Ahieawork. In substance, his views of tWhat should be done were:
 That an interstate commerce court lof live members, to hear and decide hpon petitions to set aside the orders lof the interstate Commerce commits Esion, with right of appeal to the Su- Ipren1e court, should be created.
 That the InterstatetH Commerce com- mission should be authorized to read Itust the railroads classifcations of knerchandise for transportation, upon lcompaaints of injustice being made. That the commission be authorized to postpone the date of new rate 1classiffcations, upon complaint being Imade
 1 That the commission be empowered Ito suspend. modify or annul any changes in rules and regulations (which Impose undue burdens upon tshiDpers.
 ! That 1t be authorized to compel con meeting carriers to unite in forming a through route and to fix the rates lalso. to prescribe rules under which
 shippers may designate routes for )their shipments.
 TrxI~ 1I,1 n Y, fyri4 4i<, of any Interstate road from acquiring tstock in competing roads; also a re- sfuirement that after certain date no such road shall hold such stock; also, that no Interstate road shall is- sue additional stock or bonds without the approval of the Interstate Com merce commission as being issued for Illegal purposes, or for not less than Epar for stock and not less than 'the reasonable market value for bonds,' g Esuch prices to be paid t'either in cash Tor in property and services. at fair value as determined by the eommis- Ision. That railroads should be permitted Ito agree upon traffic rates and to fanake rate contracts ''that shall not be tpooling contracts ? under approval by kthe commission
 l That the antitrust law should not tsnclude in it's prohibition and denun- kciation as a crime anything but a con- tepfracy or combination or contract en- ftered, into with actual intent to mo- knopolize or suppress competition in in- fterstate trade" Upon this matter, he fadds. Gs
 Take the present antitrust law, and Mnsert a special exception to the appli- cation of that law by providing that E4t should not apply to the trade union class, and it would be legislation of 1.-the most vicious character; but when Eyou make the law apply only to con- Ispiracies seeking to suppress cornpeti- k4ion or to monopolize the trade, then kthe labor boycott is probably not in- fcl11ded. believe that the ordinary action in equity by injunction in any place fMhere the boycott is operative can eff kfectfvely accomplish all the purposes that ought to be accomplished in the lsuppression of such an evil.
 Such are the Presidents views with
 regard to strengthening the interstate Icommerce and antitrust laws. Their
 most important features refer to clas-
 eidcations, rules, watering of stock, tHcQulroIneuC OF SCOck III competing kroads, agreements upon traffic rates, Limitation of the antitrust law, and the boycott. We are strongly inclin- cd to believe that the President will
 meet with greater difficulty in secur- ing most of these changes than he ex- fperienced in obtaining a few tariff
 concessions. The interstate roads are strongly represented in Congress, par ] ticu1arIy in the Senate.
 i On the boycott question, the Presi-
 dents views are not pleasant reading for what he calls "the trade union
 class" for while he would exempt it
 from the operation of the antitrust
 law, he believes the injunction process
 sufficient for "the suppression of such an evil" as the boycott.