The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-11
SITUATION SEEMS
TO WORRY Mr.. TAFT
President Calls in Senator AID
rich for First of Series of
Conferences.
MUCH HINGES UPON
SUPREME COURT DECISIONS
What Will Government DO With
Regard to Prosecution of
the Trusts?

NAS6I NJ lON, -fCps lU,--A CONFER
encc held al the White House last night
between President Taft and Senator
Aldrich was only the forerunner of 9th
ers in the near future, the outcome of
which probably VIII be The issue of d
statement dealing with the situation
that is discussed here wherever two OF
three are gathered together. yet which
apparently nobody thus far has deemed
il prudent to make the subject of pub
lie utteraDce.
The situation relates to the possible
consequences, financial. industrial and
political, hanging upon the decisions of
the supreme court of the United States
in the cases OF the American Tobacco
company aud the Standard Oil com.
pauv,
The immediate subject of last night 5
conference between the president and
! Mr.. Aldrich was the administration :
proposed amendments 10 the interstate
commerce law, but the effect of ihc SUI
preme court decisions in the tobacco
and oil eases was discussed also and
Will be further discussed on Monday.
Will Abide by Decision,
Meanwhile. the president Will speak
subject. il is said. of Party pledges
and how they should be kept and he
is attempting no conccalment or modl-
| ficaiion Of his intention to make the
decision OF the supreme court the guide
of the government : further action IN
| regard 10 corporations charged with
violations of The Sherman antitrust
law.
He makes il plain to all iuquirers thai
he has in nowisc changed his view Of
what. IN his message 10 congress, he
described rs his duty TO investigate the
conduct of all trusts. Mr.. Taft saws
he will not he swcrved thercfrom by
rumors or hurlieS or other manifesto
tious in "Wall street. -
The general impression here is that
the federal incorporation bill will not
be passed at this session. All the
talk is unfavorable 10 its substantial
progress, and Mr.. Taft recently dis.
claimed any intention of attempting 10
force lis passage.
Might Be Useless.
But even if ii were enacted in It's
| present form il offers, in the opinion
of members Of congress and of corpora
tion men. no material relief from the
condition that hangs upou the decision
in the antitrust eases.
The bill provides that il shall not he
construed 10 create shelter or I'M
mlnltN Tor any corporation that mas
violated the Sherman law.
| Nobody here shares what appears TO
have been the popular imprcssiou--that
the proposed federal incorporation set
would afford relief to corporations di-
rcctlv or indirectly threatened under
possible adverse decision of the supreme
court Nor is other Legislation con
tcmplatcd that might relieve the ten.
sion. Senator AldrIch said today:
l
! ''T can conceive of no legislation
within The powers of congress that can
meet this situation. either IN auticipa-
ton of the supreme court s decision or
subsequent TO 1T.
''Unless, perhaps the repeal of tbc
| sherman law?' the qucstioner suggest
! cd.
The senator smiled grimly. 1t was
| evident f',at he regarded that as out
side the domain of possibilities.
As for the scope of antitrust cases
before the supreme court here is what
Attorney General Wickersham said III
connection with his motion 10 advance
| fhc Standard Oil cases to immediate
| hearing:
"Tbc tobacco case, Just argued and
submitted 10 ihc court, and the Stand
ard Oil case. present 10 tho court prsc-
ically the entire range OF modern in
! dustrisl organizations in Tins country.
and substantially every feature Of the
so-callod trust problem in so far as
it is affected bv the sherman act. g,
il has been the policy of the govern.
ment 10 select n few extreme instances
of great combinations, apparently con
trolling the greater part of trade and
commerce i'll a particular line OF IN
dustry. aud TO make them tests of the
full meaning aud application of the
| statute.
The Oil Trust Case.
fsThe STANDARD Oil case is the most
important Of all these cases, affecting
as ii does. the widest range Of combina-
tions and contracts which may be
claimed to offend against the act of
congress. Under these circumstances
ahd as this act in It's general scope ai"
fccts IN enormous number of business
and industrial organizations throughout
tho country. it is of momcnious public
importance that ibIs court shall define
, and apply the act III reference TO this
} character Of organization.
, The provcrbally delicate relation
, ''which the market Wall street y
and the financial world generally bear
to The news and gossip Of the three
r great branches Of tho government, make
} it supcrllnous TO point out the effect
, which decisions Of fhc supreme court IN
hose cases, will have in Tho, field of
. finance Almost pathetic is tho eager
ness with which those here who are IN
communication with market clutch
nj cvcrv crumb of news or gossip ON
this subject.
Play for Big Stakes.
IndusiriaJlv. as Mr., Wickrrsham said
| 10 the court practically the whole scope
Of modern corporate organization rs IN
= one way or another involved in these
! eases: 'Egood trusts" and ''bad trusts
apparently have a stake in the affair,
II the court should sustain the, ludg,
! mcnts Of the courts below, it might call
for industrial rcadJnsimenls Of far'
: reaching effect. Political leaders here
a closely rejecting the minds of leaders
q Of industry express the more or, less
o vague hopo that The court. should II
Continued on Page Two,