The San Francisco call., 1910-02-11
WASHINGTON IN
THE AIR OVER
TRUST CASES
Big Stakes Are on Supreme
Courts Decision of Oil and
Tobacco Appeals
President and Senator AIdrich
Confer Over Possible Effect
of Final Action

WASHINGTON. Feb ia confer
ence held at the White House last night
between President Taft and Senator
Aldrich was only the forerunner OF
others i'm the near future the outcome
OF which probably will be the issuance
OF . statement dealing with the situa-
tion relating TO the possible conse-
Quences. financial. industrial and politi-
cal. hanging upon the decisions of the
supreme court OF the United States in
The cases of the American tobacco COM
pany and the Standard oil company.
The immediate subject of last night 5
conference between the president and
Aldrich was the administration pro-
posed amendments to the interstate
commerce law, but the effect OF the su-
preme court decisions in the tobacco
and oil cases was discussed also and
viii be further taken up Monday.
Meanwhile the president viii speak
in New York Saturday night on the
subject. il is said, Of Party Pledges
and How They Should Be Kept" and he
is attempting no concealment or modi-
1icatiOn of his intention to make the
decision OF the supreme court the guide
OF the government's further action ir
ra gard to corporations charged with
sioi stions Of the sherman antitrust
I-.@.
INCORPOB ATSON BILL CHECKED
The general impression here is that
the federal incorporation bill viii not
he passed At this session. All the talk
IS unfavorable TO its substantial prog
ress and Mr. Taft recently disclaimed
any intention Of attempting to force its
passage.
But even If il were enacted in its
present form ID offers. in the opinion oil
members of congress and of corpora
1ion men. no material relief from the
condition that hangs upon the decision
in the antitrust cases
Nobody here shares what appears to
have been the popular impression-that
the proposed federal incorporation act
would afford relief to corporations d.
rectIy or Indirectly threatened under q
possible adverse decision of the SUI
preme court.
Nor is other legislation contemplated
that might relieve the tension.
The delicate relation which the
ma rket" Wall street" and the fnan-
cial world generally bear to the news
p nd gossip of the three great branches
OF the government make il superfuous
to point out the effect which decisions
or the supreme court in these cases will
have in the field OF finance
Er2CL ally the NnOle scope OF DlOOeEn
corpora te orga nizstion is, in one way
or another. involved in these cases
good trusts" and bad trusts" appar-
entity have q stake in the affair.
HAS GREAT SIGNIFICANCE
II the court should sustain the judg
ments Of the courts below. il might call
for Industrial readjustments of far
reaching effect.
Politically, the consequences OF a de-
cision either way must be momentous-
especially so TO the majority party in
the event Of the defeat Of the govern
ment
If the trusts win, and congress is
helpless 10 assist in the situation either
way. where are we at?" plainly asked
a republican leader today.
This is the topic most discussed in
Nashin gton just now. 1t is the sub
ject uppermOst in every quarter. II
has thus far been discussed with the
soft pedal on. and. as il were in
whispers; but leaders in congress ad-
mitted today that it would be impos-
sible much longer TO confine II to pri-
vate conversation. 1t was discussed
last night by the president and Senator
Aldrich and viii be further discussed
next week.
The tobacco case has been set for
argument March "A. The oil case has
been argued and is now in the hands OF
the court