Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-29
FARMERS BACK PLAN
TO PROBE BIG TRUST
House Rules Committee Is
Holding Hearings on
Stanley Resolution.

Consideration Of the resolution intro
duced yesterday by Representative Stan
ley of kentucky, providing for the APP
pointment by the Speaker of a special
committee of nine members of the House
Of Representatives to investigate the
steel trust and to inquire into any vio-
lations Of the antitrust, interstate COM
merce and national banking laws. with
a view Of having Congress prod the le-
gal department Of the government into
action, was begun this morning by the
committee on rules. Representative Pou
of North Carolina presided as chair
man during the absence from Washington
of Representative Henry of Texas.
The oranges Of Maine, Pennsylvania,
Kentucky, Colorado and Washington
unanimously indorse the democratic plan
Of an Investigation Of the subject men
toned through 4 special committee. ac-
cording to George B. Hampton. who APP
peared before the committee as their rep
resentative.
Hold It a Monopoly.
1.-The farmers insist" Mr.. Hampton de-
clared, that there IS no longer any
justification for high protection on steel
products, and We believe that the steel
trust is monopoly. There is certainly
enough evidence to prove that this is the
case, and there can be no better way to
get at the facts than for Congress to ap-
point such q committee as is recommend
obtains unfair benefits from the govern
ment. and the interlockfng system OF
directors and Its relations with the rail-
roads and other business enterprises GER
tainly warrants q thorough investigation
public"
Another witness before the committee
was George ]. Kendall. a Denver manu-
facturer. who also supported the Stanley
resolution. He criticised freight rates. in
tural steel was s. higher than the price
for steel shipped over the Rocky noun
tains.
Directs Line Of Inquiry.
The resolution introduced by Mr.. Stan
ley yesterday directs the special commit
tee, the creation of which is proposed. in
its investigation of the United States
Steel Corporation. to inquire particularly
into the following as results Of its BUSH
ness relations with railroads. coal. insur-
ance and trust companies and other bust
ness institutions:
The restriction or destruction of COM
petition in production or transportation.
including conspiracies to crush out and
bankrupt competitors: excessive capital
!zation of corporations with large bond
and stock issues not representing real
values: vast combinations of corporations
controlled by a few individuals. created
by the ownership of one corporation Of
the stock Of other corporations, the Sc
curitiex issued therefor constituting fic-
titious capitalization: wide speculations
in stocks conducted by conspiracies among
associated owners and officers OF various
corporations; private profits through such
speculations to managers of the corpora
tons derived at the expense of the stock
holders and the public. and panics in bond
and stock markets.
The committee will resume hearings on
the resolution next week It is proba BILE
that within q couple Of weeks the Stanley
resolution will be tavorably reported to
the House and passed.