Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-12-05

cratic possibilities, may at any time
make presidential pronouncement to his
colleagues: and Representative Oscar W.
Underwood. of Alabama, the Democratic
floor leader, also is talked of throughout
the country as presidential timber.
In the senate, Mr.. La Toilette already
has been proclaimed by progressive Re-
pubicans as their choice to wrest the
nomination from Mr.. Taft.
In the house the political interest will
be further complicated by the attitude
of Mr.. Bryan, who has quarreled with
Mr.. Underwood and branded him as q
reactionary and know criticises Speaker
Clark in what hany Democrats declare
is an effort to cause a breach between
the speaker and the majority leader OF
the house.
The tariff legislative program will fol-
low the long awaited report of the tariff
board which Is expected to submit the
result of its investigations on wool and
cotton before the holidays. The ways
and means committee of the house, how
ever under the direction OF Chairman
Underwood, will begin at once the prep
aration of new tarff bills. Throughout
the recess a force OF clerks and experts
have been at work preparing for the
committee.
MESSAGE ON TARIFF
President Taft has given his pledge
that, when the tariff board submits its
report on the wooden and cotton sched-
uies 1t will be his pl' ASSURE to make tar
if recommendations to congress Tns
subject will be treated in special mes
sage.
Meantime, however, the ways and
means committee will begin preparation
of revised schedules to include wool
cotton, iron and steel products. sugar and
other foodstuffss An important schedule
to come up Is the sugar schedule and In
dealing with this the house and the ways
and means committee will be guided
somewhat by the report Of the special
committee of inquiry into the American
Sugar Refining company. which Is ex-
pected to. report early in the session
ANTITRUST Law FIGHT.
| CONSPICUOUS in the records OF the con-
gress will be the coming vigorous trust
! debates. The fight to amend the Sher-
man antitrust law already is on In the
house the question viii be first Aconsid-
cred by the committee on judiciary. This
committee has determined also to report
bills amending the injunction statutes
and the contempt statutes, the latter to
| include provision for trial by jury In
cases of indirect contempt. These WA
be pressed for passage before adjourn
ment.
The committee has in hand half
dozen bills providing amendment to the
| sherman antitrust law. The most re-
cent bill was drafted by Representative
Henry, of Texas, providing for peniten-
tiary terms for violators of the truss
| laws and designed to eliminate from the
Sherman law the rule of reason as IN
terpreted by the supreme court some
sort Of bill is certain 10 come from the
committee bearing on this problem. II
the senate the trust question is under
Consideration in the hearings before the
committee on interstate commerce which
will continue for some time
In line with the trust question Will
be the determination of the fate Of the
house special committee of inquiry into
| the United States Steel corporation. The
steel corporation has protested against
continuation of the hearing In view OF
| the ruling of the government against IL
The question is certain to be brought
mn in the house for settlement within a
few days and it will provoke lively con-
troversy.
VIEWS OF TAFT.
| AS a part of the trust legislative plan
President Taft has suggested federal
Incorporation act. He has stated his be-
lief that statute might be drawn-nof
as an amendment to the antitrust law
to furnish protection which would in
duce companies engaged chiefly in in
terstate trade to agree to government
supervision of their transactions.
The national monetary commission will
submit the report of its long and ex-
haustive inquiry by January 8. The CEN
| trail reserve hank plan advocated by for
mer Senator Nelson w. Aldrich, has been
practically unanimously Endorsed by the
American Bankers association. Currency
REFORM however, probably will develop
many different opinions before any leg
islation is enacted.
LORIMER INQUIRY.
OF unusual interest in the senate will
be the continuance of the inquiry into