Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-29
LICENSE THEM ALL
Martins Idea of Control of
Corporations.
CONFERS WITH PRESIDENT
Representative Believes Trust Legis-
lation Should Be Positive in
Its Character.
CONFERS WITH PRESIDENT

President Taft's forthcoming message
on the trusts, railroads, ETC., drew to the
White House today some congressional
visitors who are interested in these sub
jects. among them being Representative
Martin of South Dakota, himself the
author of several bills designed to con-
troll the corporations more thoroughly
than under existing laws.
Mr. Martins central idea, in all his bills,
has been to compel all corporations to
take out federal licenses to do business.
He is satisfied this would be constitution
al, and that 1t would protect the country
and people against bad combinations. He
is not opposed to President Taft's inten-
ton to recommend voluntary federal
licensing of corporations. but is not In
agreement with the President that this
would accomplish all that is claimed for
It. Mr. Martin said that he understood
Attorney General Wickersham has pre-
pared for the President a bill, which may
be introduced in Congress "a an admin
be issued upon request and after due ex-
animation by the government
Would Make It Mandatory.
Mr.. Martin has one great fear, how
ever It Is that the real bad trusts
| would do one Of two things-apply for
and obtain license which would be
authorization to do business, or keep
away from license altogether and con-
tinue their predatory business He
thinks that any measure OF voluntary
nature put through should be very strict
in it's provisions and that any corpora
ton failing to apply for license within
one year after the law went into effect
should be compelled to do So
Mr.. Martin announced himself as unal-
terably opposed to any change in the
Sherman antitrust act that will extract
any of the sharp teeth Of that law. For
that reason he thinks it would be decid-
edly better to permit the law to stand
just as 1t is without attempting modifi-
cations that will discriminate between
the good and bad combinations.
Will Put Ship Subsidy Through.
Representative Dwight of New York. re-
publican whip" Of the House. talked
with the President for some time today
about ship subsidy legislation. On leav-
ing he asserted that the Presidents rec
concentrations would be enacted into law
act pretty quickly after reassembling. The
bill Of Representative Humphreys Of
Washington Is the one that has been
agreed upon by the President and the re-
publican leaders. In his message to Con-
gress upon the convening of that body
| the President urged ship subsidy law
looking "to the establishment Of lines be-
tween our Atlantic seabOard and the
| eastern coast of South America. as well
as lines from the west coast Of the United
States to South America, China, Japan
and the Philippines"
| Representative Dwight was not of the
| opinion that democratic opposition to the
| ship subsidy bill would retard the pas
| sage of the measure to any degree.
In Sympathy With Railroad Men.
A. A. Rose, legislative representative in
Washington of the Brotherhood of Lo-
comotive Firemen and Enginemen, and
Of the Brotherhood Of Railroad Trainmen.
had a satisfactory conference with Presi-
dent Taft today about the demands Of
railroad organizations for LEGISLATION.
The President expressed great sympathy
with the desires of railroad men, saying
| that he heartily favored any legislation
that would conserve the lives and limbs
| of these men.