The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-26
No CHANGE MADE
IN TAFT POLICY
President Issues Statement
From White House to Set at
Rest Wild RumOrS.
STANDS ON THE GROUND
HE TOOK IN MESSAGE
No Desire to Attack Corpora
tions; Only Wishes to Prose
cute Their Crimes.

WASHINGTON, Jan, 25,-President
Taft today made public tho following
statement as to the reports that t9e
administration is planning crusade
against unlawful combinations oil capl-
tai; .,,
''No statement was issued elther
from the attorney general IS offlce or
the white house, indicating that the
purpose of the administration with ret-
erence to prosecutions under the anti
trust law is other than as set 1orth IN
the message Of the president OF Jan
uary I, 1910,
'fSensational statements. as if there
was to be a new departure ana an IN
discriminate prosecution or important
;naustries, have no foundation. The
purpose OF the administration is eX-
actly as already stated IN the pFesi-
dent s message
The statement was issued after the
president had talked with James j.
Hill and had received the information
that prices were crumbling in Now
York under the various reports printed
Yesterday and today. There was no
statement from the white house except
the foregoing.
Statement OF Hill.
On leaving the white house, Mr.. Hill
said be did not pretend TO represent
or speak for the president In any
thing he said, but he was sure that the
president would not attack corpora
lions of themselves, but only the sins
of the corporations. If the corpora
tions were violating the laws of the
country, he supposed they would be
brought TO book.
In his special message on interstate
commerce and antitrust laws President
Taft, in connection with a recommen-
dation for federal Incorporation act,
said:
"Lt is the duty and the purpose of
The executive TO direct an investigation
by the department of justice. through
the grand Jury or otherwise, into the
history, organization and the purposes
of all the industrial companies with re
spect to which there is any reasonable
ground for suspicion that they have
been organized for a purpose and are
conducting business on n plan which is
in violation of the antitrust laws.
"The work is heavy. but 1t is not
beyond the power of the department
OF Justice, if sufficient funds are fur
nished. to carry on the investigations
and to pay the counsel engaged in the
work. But such an investigation and
possible prosecution of corporations
whose prosperity or destruction affects
the comfort not only of stockholders,
but of millions Of wage earners, en-
plovees and associated tradesmen, must
necessarily tend TO disturb the conf
dence of the business community. TO
dry up the now flowing sources Of cap
ital from its places of boarding and
produce a halt in our present prosper.
lty that Will cause suffering and
strained circumstances among the In
nocent many for the faults of the
guilty few.
'tTbe question ! wish in this mes
sage TO bring clearly to the consid-
Grafton and discussion of congress is
whether. in order TO avoid such a pos
sible business danger, something can
not be done by which the business
combinations may be afforded means.
without great financial disturbance. Of
changing the character, organization
and extent Of their business into one
under the lines of the law under fed
eral supervision, securing compliance
with the antitrust statutes -
Mr., Hill, s visit TO the white house, it
was said later, was merely coinci-
dence Mr.. Hill said ne had discussed
general conditions" with the presi.
dent and had not gone into the subject
of the prosecution of the trusts.
Normally conditions are satisfac-
tory in all directions" said Nj. Hill
"but we don't want a lot of wild stories
TO get abroad that will cause depres-
sion,
Mr.. Hill did not want 10 discuss the
president s recommendations as to
railroad legislation, saying it was foo
important a subject to take up 'off
hand -
'But we do need the rest cure bad,
ly," ne said adding that the country
should be allowed full time 10 recover
from the panic of 1907 He thought
three or four months of rest from agita
tion would do lot Of good.