The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-03
AN INVITATION TO
TRUST ORGANIZERS
And Labor Leaders Extended
by Senate Committee
on Commerce.

WASHINGTON, Sept. Much in
terest is being displayed to the prob
sble outcome OF the proposed confer
ence between the senate committee on
Interstate and Foreign Commerce and
the great trust organizers of the
country. An invitation has been is
sued by the committee to all of the
most prominent trust promoters to
meet here in Washington during the
next session of congress, and assist
in framing the corporation laws SO as
to meet business conditions of the pre-
sent day.
Not only are the great organizers
to meet with the committee and offer
advice but also prominent labor lead
ers will be consulted. Labor condi.
tions will be the subject OF thorough
study and the relation of the laboring
class to the trusts will be gone into in
detail. The laboring class contend
that the trusts are responsible for
: the high cost Of living. In order to
be fair to both sides. before propos.
Ing any radical changes in the present
laws. the committee will listen to the
advice of the trusts and of the labor
unions and hear what they would pro-
pose as means of remedying existing
evils.
viii Suggest Ideas.
~
senate committee and suggest to it
ideas that may lead to the framing of
. law that will supplant the Sherman
antitrust law and the interstate COM
merce laws. Doubtless many radical
changes will be suggested by the la
Dor element, and great interest is be-
ing manifested as to how the trusts
will receive the proposed changes.
The question to be determined Is
whether 1t is better for the commercial
health of the country that combina-
lions now existing in restraint Of
trade be legalized, or whether they
shall be dissolved, making unrestrict-
cd competition. 1t is we'll known that
the men who have spent their lives
IA UuAiuAu6 w NuC liuSto Will ORPOoC
any legislation framed to dissolve big
combinations. They claim that the
dissolution OF the trusts will not es-
tablish free competition to any greater
extent than now exists. The only diff
ference they claim will be that instead
of one large concern. dissolution would
result in a number of smaller con-
Germs all owned and operated by the
same parties that now own the stock
in the big corporations.
John d. Rockefeller, ]. Pierpont
Morgan. George w. Perkins and Ell
bert II. Gary, represent ing the CAPT.
talists, and Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation of
Labor, and other labor leaders, are
to be brought together in a friendly
way to discuss the problem and give
their views as to changes needed in
the existing laws. The senate com.
mittee. In bringing these men together.
hopes to gain much beneficial informa-
ton and advice concerning conditions
and the best means of remedying
them.
Senator Moses Clapp OF Minnesota,
chairman Of the committee which is
to conduct the investigation, has turn
ed the details OF the preparations al
ready made over to subcommittee.
Of which Senator Cummins, Of Iowa,
10 chairman. Senator Cummins has
already taken steps toward arranging
for the conferences, which will begin
In Washington on Nov. Is.
Not Original Idea.
This idea of bringing the trust or
ganizers and the labor leaders togeth-
er before q congressional committee
10 not original with Senator Cummins.
Representative Martin w. Littleton, of
New York, had similar idea when he
introduced in the house of representa-
tives at the last session his resolution
providing for q special investigation
by congress of existing industrial con-
ditions In the United States, that
business might be relieved from al
legged hardships under the antitrust
laws pointed out by Judge Gary and
George w. Perkins before the Stanley
steel trust investigating committee.