The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-01-03
7Wo Special
Messages By
fhePresident
This Week Will be
Busy One In
Congress

ciaI mes5apeg from President Taft
will serve to enfiyen the first week o.
the Congressional session after the
hcliidy vacation. The first of the,.
will be sent to Congress immediatei,
after that body reconvenes Tomorrow
and the other on the day following
Conservation of natural resources anr
the antitrust law ere tie subjects o.
the Presidents literary efforts. au,
the latter topic naturally excite.
greatest interest ancng the congress-
men VINO are pouring into Washington
to-day, eager to rest after the arduou.
tell Of tie holidays.
1t is confidently expected that on.
rropusition will stick out CT the presi
ecntia: message Ike a sore finger
Tnis will be an argument by the Pres
ldent that the necessary does not ex
ist for changing the Sherman anti
trust act dealing with combinations ir
restrain: Of trade.
The President had held that this Iav
should he so amended an to Iim!'. is
application to such combinations Of in
dustry and capital ae were detrimen
tai to full and complete competition
Had he held te that view Mr.. Taft
doubtless would recommend that ttt
law should he changed SO dc to makt
exceptions of combinations not within
that classification.
Like Mr.. Roosevelt, the Prcsider
had been oppressed with the view
that many combinations, while effect
ed through TIE amaIgamation of cor:
Fcting concerns, had been conducive
to public good and did not constitute
unreasonable or detrimental eorlb'nr
tions. which: the law had sought tc
rclct.
But MIR. Taft. according to the un
derstant',g obtained by members Of
his cab:nct. ard ether confidarts, has
undergone a change of mind. To At
torncy General Wiekersham iG give
the credit ef having convinced hin
tIte the occasion did not exist TO:
changing the antitrust law SO az to er
en'p: from prosecution combination
which, while they had suppressed
competition to the extent Of obtaining
cuntroI CT competing concerns, IL
not practise buIIdozing methods or
ether eon.pet:crs or en- their custe
fsrcrr.
The Attorney General in lont
opinion reviewed all tho anti-true:
caGes that had come before the Uni
ted States Supreme Court, about fif
teen in number. and showed that .ht
court invariably had ignored what /:
to limitations of the law and had cor
Etrued the law In its broad sense a.
applying TO combinations of eapit1
that suppressed competition by nt!
st!.k methods solely TO swell its prof
its.
II was pointed out that the court ir
effect had rejected Tie idea that wher.
tW3 or more competing concerns en-
CT GEO in interstate commerce wcr:
combined. hut which did not use tn.
combination fer the purpose of putin.
UP priee5 or stamping out other corr
petiscrs or these who declined to pat
ronizn tho combination exclusively
there was a violation of the Sherman
Sc.
Convinced by the Attorney Genera
that TINS was the Supreme Courts at
tItude the President is understood I:
have unrerscnr change Of ops.iirn 4!
to The necessity of recommending tina
the antitrust act be 1rnended. Fur
thcrmorc there is reason to believe
that nc does not share the view tlla
ru'cs for the determination of the diff
fercnces between good trust and
pht trust, with the idea Of cxemptinl
the good trust from the operations o
the antitrust law, can be specifirai':
laid dawn in law or applied properl,
by any individual in authority. Th:l
was an additional reason which helpet
him to reach the view that cren5n
ton of the Sherman la" was not onli
unnecessary bus un"'ie.
But Wl:ile the President believe:
that there is no occasion for amendin:
the present antitrust law he thinks
that the law can be made stronger
through legislation intended to re
move temptation 10 violate Its provi
slams. In line with this idea he viii
that Congress enact supplementary leg
itIation that interstate corporation.
may obtain Federal franchises to d:
Continued on Page Four.)