The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-08
SPECIAL MESSAGE
OF TAFT PRESENTED
President Deals at Length With
Questions of Interstate Com
merce and Antitrust Laws.
WANTS TO POSTPONE
TRUST INVESTIGATIONS
Is in Favor of Court of Com
merce and a National In
corporation Law.

WI PV'
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.--President
Taft S special message to congress rec
ommendipg amendments to the iptcr-
state commerce and antitrust laws was
laid before the house of representatives
today.
The reading OF the document was
begun without delay. and members on
both the Republican and Democratic
sides followed the clerk closely. Tn
usual quiet prevailed.
The Senate Was Not i'll Session
Representative Townsend Of Michl-
sau, who was among the most attcp
tive listeners, was understood W have
ia his possession the administration bill
amending the interstate commerce law.
In accordance with tho recommends
tions of the president This will be in
troduccd next Monday,
The message WAS referred TO the ap.
preparations committee.
Purport Anticipated.
The message followed CLOSELY the
forecasts that have been made from
time to time and in the suggestedt leg.
islation as to railroads embodjeS all Of
| the suggestions that the president bas
made in hIs speeches on the subject,
Mr.. TAFT suggests no changes IN the
Sherman antitrust law at this time,
! The antitrust feature of the message
deals solely with the subject Of federal
charters. The president thinks that au
opportunity should be given the big in
dustrial combinations to bring their
business once more into tbe S'Zone OF
lawfulness' by taking out a federal
charter under certain prescribed con
ditions before it becomes necessary 10
| proceed against every corporation about
which tbcre is a breath of suspicion.
''It is the duty and purpose of the
| executive, says the message Ito dl.
rect an investigation by the department
OF Justice through the grand Jury or
otherwise into the history, organization
and purpose of all the industrial com
( panies with respect 10 which thore is
any reasonable ground for suspicion that
they have been organized for a pur'
! pose and arc conducting business oU
plan which is in violstiou OF tfraAant
! trust law,
| Innocent Would Suffer
| Such q Wholesale Investigation and
/ possibly prosecution, the president
| points out. however, would result in Sc
rious disturbances aud 'producc z
halt in our present prosperity that VIII
cause suffering and strained circum-
! stances among the innocent many Tor
the faults of the guilty few,
! ''The question which | wish ~ this
! messuge TO bring clearly TO the consider
aiIon aud discussion OF congress IS
whether. in order TO avoid suen pos
siblc business disaster something can
not he doue bv which these business
combinations NAV be offered means.
| Sn1n,ia al disturbance pi
changing the character, organization and
extent of their business into one within
| the liues of the law under federal con
i troll and supervision, securing compll-
ance with tho antitrust statutes.
Conditions Of Charters.
The conditions upon which federal
| charters arc to he granted under the
president { recommendations are these:
The issue OF stock TO be 10 au amount
equal only to the cash paid in on the
stock, or If stock be issued for prop
taincd under approval and supervision
of federal authority. after a full and
compIctc disclosure Of all the facts ap
merit aiming TO the value of the property
! and the interest in il of the person 10
whom the stock is 10 be issued.
Corporations taking federal charters
are TO he prohibited from acquiring
! anu 0OlUlnE SNVfh III p'u'' WI F'A 'A''Sf
except for special reasons upon ap
pyoyal by the proper federal authori-
| ties. Full reports Of operations are 10
| be made to the department Of com
! merce and labor at regular intervals.
! The federal incorporation ls 10 he
voluntary. but the president feels mat
most of the corporations Will DC glad
of the opportunity 20 reform their
business methods ii given this oppor,
tunity. Otherwise the department OF
| inst;ce will investigate them. Nothing
! in the federal charters is 10 exempt
any corporation from prosecutions for
yioations of tho snti'trust law
Various Recommendations.
In that portion of bis message deal
| inc with changes I'm the Interstate com
! mercc laws The president rccommenhs;
The establishment Of United States
! court of commerce OF hyc Judges 70
hear and determine appeals from the
| Interstate commerce commission. the
nnlv appeal from this court lying in
the United States supreme court
Tho commission is to he relieved OF
prosecutinc cases IN the courts. this
duty being placed in the department
! of Justice.
| T'ooling arrangements as 10 rates TO
he allowed under direct supervision Of
| the commission.
| The commission TO he empowered to
pass upon freight classi6cators.
More Power for Commission.
The commission 10 ne empowered 10
hold up new rates or clasSlbcatlons ny
railroads uuril an inquiry can be made
as 10 their reasonableness II found 70
he unrea souabIe. the commission may
forbid the increase :.
Shipuers 10 he given the choice Or
established routes on through freight.
From and after The passage of the
amendments il is provided that no rail
road shall acquire any stock or interest
iu a competing line except that where
a road olreadr owns 20 per cent or
moro Of tho stock Of another road. 1t
may complctc the purchase Of all the
stock Also IN cases whore one road is
operating another under a lease OF
I more than twenty-five Ncnrs duration.
If shall hsve q right to acquire tho
dcmised road. Allowing these acqul'
ss-.l.t