Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1910-01-06
Taft Said to Be Urging Bill Fo,
National Incorporation Of Com.
panies.


tion of concerns doing interstate com.
merce business, but also Of bill to
carry his program into effect.
Attorney General Wickersham has
the bill drafted, and few of the coun.
sellors who have been talking with the
President about it have been given
copies of it, in close confidence, for
their study. The President further has
been in consultation with Senator Nell
son, who, as q representative of the
Judiciary Committee, wrote the famous
report Of that committee about q year
and half ago, declaring against any
modification of the Sherman antitrust
law.
The President has sought to convince
Senator Nelson of the desirability of
the proposed legislation, and has found
the Senator obdurate as to some inn
portant points. The Minnesotan, who
acquired reputation as an expert in
the matter of interstate commerce law
by reason of his report rejecting the
Civic Federation program of the Roose.
velt Administration for changing the
anti trust act, is insistent that there
shall be no legislation which will pull
any of the teeth out of the Sherman
act; and he is fearful that the proposed
measure, as now drafted, would have
that effect. The Senator has plan of
his own which he decidedly prefers.
Federal License For Trusts.
President Taft today had confer.
ence also with Representative Martin
of South Dakota, who is one of the
pioneers in the movement for Federal
license of trusts and interstate COM
merce corporations. Mr.. Martin left
the White House we'll pleased with the
evidence that the question is to be
opened up with the Administration
earnestly in favor of legislation.
The Administration bill, as now
drafted, provides for voluntary moor.
poration under the Federal law. Any
concern in interstate business will be
permitted thus to incorporate, il it
desires. Mr. Martin considers that
this would be useful step in advance.
Corporationst thus incorporating would
be required, under the Federal Law, to
provide large amount of inside in.
formation about their affairs, from
which the administrative authorities
would be able to determine whether
they were operating without violation
of the anti trust or other statutes.
But Mr.. Martin urged upon the
President the necessity of two points
which he considered especially i'm
portant One was that no corporation
should be permitted in any degree to
mollify or amellorate the rigor of the
application of the Sherman law to it,
self, simply by reason of thus incor.
porating. OF this he considered there
was grave danger in any measure Of
this kind, and he objected to some pro.
visions in the Wickersham draft for
this reason, pointing them out to the
President.
Favor Strict Enforcement
81 am decidedly in favor" said Mr.
Martin, "of maintaining the antitrust
law as it stands, and of enforcing it;
making it definite administrative
policy to enforce it, and making every.
body know that it is going to be en-
forced against everybody. 1t will not
do to pass any Federal incorporation
legislation which would have the effect
Of giving any class Of corporations the
slightest measure eofimmunity from ut.
most rigor of the Sherman acts appli.
cation to them; and there is danger of
that in any law of this kind"
| Mr.. Martin told the President that
there ought to be added to the volun-
tary Federal incorporation provision,
a requirement that after certain
time, concerns which did not avail
themselves voluntarily of this privilege,
should be subjected to Federal
licensing requirement.
NEBRASKA MAN ASSASSINATED
Ainsworth Man Slain on Way Home
Hot Springs Man Suspected.
Ainsworth, Neb, Dec. 3l.-Jacob
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