Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-15
Gives It Extensive Powers.

All of which, it is declared, gives the
committee power to inquire into the price
Of elephants and of sausage, as well as
into the billions OF dollars that form the
capital of several interstate corporations
On the committee that is intrusted with
the task are several men who like prob
ing as hobo likes ham sandwiches and
they can be relied upon not to leave a
stone unturned or a bet overlooked AT
the head of the committee is Senator
Clapp, and his emnity to anything that
looks like trust insures some searching
probing on his part. Other members of
the committee are Shelby NJ. Cullom of
lliino S, dean of the Senate and wise
from long experience; Murray Crane, the
pussy-footed and willy; George Nixon.
elected by popular votes in democratic
Nevada; Albert B.. Cummins, militant IN
surgent, who has been studying the tricks
of the corporation trade for years; Frank
Il. Brandegee, inquiring bachelor; George
I. Oliver; N whom newspaper experience
has developed inquiring mind; Henry
r. Lippitt, millionaire manufacturer from
the baronial state of Rhode Island;
Charles L. Townsend. who has been on
the trail of the transportation corpora
tons Tor years as a member of the
House; Benjamin r. Tillman, "Pitchfork
Ben whose tongue is whip lash;
Murphy j. Foster, one of the two demo-
Gratis who voted for the republican Payne
Adrlch tariff law; Francis G. Newlands
radical democrat whose hobby Is the CO.
operation and coordination of govern
ment powers. to check and restrain cor
porations and to improve governmental
control of public utilities; James p.
Clarke. from the state of Arkansas that
is responsible for jeff Davis in the Sen
ate; Thomas p. Gore, the sightless giant
in oratory and the radical progressive
among the advanced thinkers OF the
democrats: Clarence w. Watson of West
Virginia, mill onaire bituminous coal op-
orator who advocates putting b'tuminous
coal on the free list, and Atlee Pomerene
Puritan who pleaded with the Senate to
instruct Attorney General Wickersham to
prosecute criminally. under the Sherman
antitrust law, John d. Rockefeller and
other officials of the Standard Oil Com
pany and American Tobacco Company.
To Have Good Advice.
While this may seem a formidable ar
ray of talent for the solution of the
problem. it is not regarded as all-suf-
ficient, and the advice of just as formi
dable an array of men in private life
Is to be sought by them. Among those
who have been invited to appear before the
committee when the hearings begin No
vember 10 next are Francis Lynde Stetson,
attorney OF New York, former head of the
New York Civic League; George w. Per-
kins, former partner of j. Pferpont Nor
gan of Wall street: Victor Morawetz. a
lawyer of New York city; Charles w.
EnOt. IOTmeT PRESIDENT Oh f1dTVdfQ UNI
versity: Arthur T. Hadley. economist and
president of Yale University. and Samuel
Gompers, president of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor.
When the committee takes up its task
it Will not be without concrete propositions
to discuss and to work over. Before ii
are many bills, some proposing radical
changes in the Sherman antitrust law
and others advocating a definite system
of control of Industrial interstate cor
poFations, much railroad corpora lions
are controlled by the interstate commerce
commission.
There are no specific propositions that
would give to some governmental insti-
| tuition or cQmmiss on powers to fix a
minimum wage scale or a maximum price
for the necessit es of life; but lurking be-
| hind several of the definite, projects pro-
posed Is such a plan as the ultimate out
come.
Senator Newlands' bill for the creation
of an Interstate trade commission has
already attracted much attention through
| out the country, and the COMMITTEES has
| discussed Ii at considerable length and
/ in most serious vein. The proposed COM
| mission is 10 gather reports of the
/ financial condition of all Interstate in
| dustrial corporations with gross receipts
| over $5,O00,000, register such companies
/ and retain control over them so far as
/ the regulation of its assets is concerned.
| The commission is to have power to