The Detroit times., 1910-02-17
incorporation
BILL IS BLUFF
Tafts Measure as Framed Is SO Gro
tesque That Leaders Cannot Be-
lieve 1t Is Intended Seriously

neVe IL is INTENDED seriously
WASHINGTON, Feb l6.--ls the
Federal Incorporation bill campaign
document, calculated TO aid the Re
publicanse In the fight for control OF
the next house? Has IL been stiff
fened up and made drastic merely foi
the effect IL will have on the plain
people before they SO to the polls next
Noyem ber
These questions are being PROFOUND
ec in all seriousness by senators and
representatives Who have been looking
-e+ef -the-ite+T- measure ira dazed-sefF
OF way and ponGer.ng on the reasons
Tor Its Introduction. A large proper
ton OF the answers given privately
are in the affirmative, says the WASH
ington correspondent OF the New York
World.
There are few men in congress VINO
candidly favor the measure as drawn.
The charge is frequently made that
Attorney-tieneral Wickersham Is IN
competent or else has drafted a meas
ure which he did lot expect TO De-
come effective. Ii is admitted that
the bill is full of teeth. but its ell
forcement Is LEFT almost entirely %
the commissioners OF corporations, and
he may determine TO take mild view
OF II and permit II To remain ylr.
tual dead letter IL placed on the statute
books.
Under the situation as il exists the
Federal incorporation bill is joke II
IL acclaimed with dersion. The trst
draft was nice harmless affair. with
no forfeiture clause and seemingly
aimed TO make the future bright and
cheerful for the trugts. IL was hailed
with praise by such legislators as are
reputed 20 have the interests OF blg
concerns at heart II was announced
that the corporations would be delight
ed with the measure. and many or
them seemed eager 10 take advantage
of its voluntary privileges 10 wipe on
the old slate ana start anew under
government supervision.
Then Came the Reaction.
The bill as then framed was satisfac-
tory TO Senators Aldrich, Crane, kean
and Elkias. TO Representatives Payne
and Dalzell, and 10 all the long list
OF those who do not want TO impure
the feelings OF a monopoly. The lead
ers on each side. including Speaker
Cannon. assured President Taft, that
the bin could be slipped through con
gress without much delay or trouble.
And then came; the reaction Attor-
ney-Gene.al Wickersham took several
weeks 70 frame up "A new bill. ana
" hen IL appeared in the open IL con
tanned a forfeiture clause and many
ether Objectionable features. All those
legislators having great corporate in
terests in their states were at frst
stunned. and then aroused sufficiently
10 intimate darby that the new BIZ
must be given careful consideration.
All the leaders permitted the predic-
ton to become public that nothing
would be done.
| There be those iii the senate ana
house who are willing to wager that
President Taft never read line by line
the INCORPORATION biz as finally intro
lduced last Monday. They declare that
/ he would never have given his per.
sonal approval to such tumble 81
good and bad.
Conditions In the senate have turned
q complete somerseuJ. Before the Iii
PRODUCTION Of the hill the big bosses
promised TO see that II went through
The progressives were stiffening their
lbackbones to oppose il. because II did
not even have forfeiture clause and
was otherwise Objectionable. Now the
ten or twelve progre ssive Republicans
are about the only sCtive advocates OF
the proposed enactment.
Deemed Uncrforceablc.
While the bill has not been fully ana-
lived. many members OF congress-
doubt whether the law could be pu'
into operation. There is general oppo.
sition 10 the enormous powers given
the commissioner OF corporations
/ They are so diverse that IL seems in-
/ POSSIBLE that one nan could success
fully discharge all the burden of en-
forcing the act Il the bill ever reaches
the consideration stage efforts will he
made to distribute these powers ana
lessen the authority given one man.
! Attempts will also be made to les
sen the authority given the attorney
general As framed he alone can bring
/ suits for forfeiture or 10 enforce other
features OF the measure. There is a
general sentiment that the pubic
should not depend entirely on the at
/ torney-general, but should be permit
/ ted to go before any prosecuting ON
Ger Ale information and have II made
the basis OF a suit for forfeiture.
There will also be more or less OF
fight as to whether suits shall be
brought exclusively in federal courts,
/ as providednby the bill. or filed in state
courts when such action would be
more advantageous
When Il gets down to real wind
/ tanning, If that stage ever comes, the
question pf constitutiona.ity will be a
Iuever-ending topic OF debate. Legal
lexperts are divided on that point. al
though inclined TO agree that II volun-
tary incorporation is constitutional
compulsory incorporation would be
equally legitimate a majority of the
Law doctors unite In affirming that the
hill can be jugeled around and made
/ to At the constitution.