The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-24
Seeking CONTROL.
! OF CORPORATIONS
SENATE COMMITTEES WILL SIT ron
INVESTIGATION BETWEEN
SESSIONS.
SCOPE TO BE EXTENSIVE
HEARINGS WILL BE IN LARGE COW.
MERCIAL CENTERs AND
TRUST HEADS WILL
BE HEARD.
BY VICTOR ELLIOTT.

YIN, L. ~. July 90
judging from present indications. the
senate committee on interstate COM
merce will soon embark upon a most
important inquiry, the need of new
and comprehensive legislation for con-
troll Of corporations.
The recent decisions of the STU
preme Court in the Standard Oil and
American Tobacco Companies cases
nave aroused new interest in the
question of government regulation of
trusts. Speculation among the pot;-
tcians is rife here as to how these
concerns are going to conduct their
/ business in the future. All admit
that the master minds that control
THESE immense interests will ind a
way to come within the bounds OF
thu law, without materially affecting
the trusts. This being the case. new
legislation to prevent the old evils
cropping out again will be needed.
TO be prepared for this emergency.
the committee proposes to conduct
an investigation during the recess be-
tween the extra session and the be-
ginning of the regular session. AMI
plan some action to be taken during
the next session.
| Recently the matter was limited
At In the Senate. but now the ques.
ton has assumed definite form. and
action will undoubtedly be taken.
During the first days OF the present
session of Congress. Senator Clapp.
chairman of the committee, succeeded
In having resolution passed grant
ing to the committee the power to
| conduct such investigations as il
| deemed necessary. This. however.
/ cannot be construed as step to-
ward legislation. as It Is no more
| than the usual resolution passed giving
TO every large and important COM
mittee the right TO probe any qres-
| ton of Importance.
! To Broaden Scope.
| Immediately after the trust de-
NOR WAS current around the "ap.-
toll that the Senate would start an
Investigation OF the corporations on
the strength of this resolution. Te-
/ fore this can become possihle the
scope of the resolution must ne eruad-
ened. Every effort win he made w
Senator Clapp to have this done at
| the present extra session. so ~ to
save time, allow the committee to
gather evidence during tn recess ard
present 1t to Congress immediately
after 1t convenes In December.
| The committee intends to conduct
/ tine litfrSAiGaNloH HItUk SHitFtIt new
lines and It Is expected 10 deviop
| facts OF great Importance about the
! trusts The proposed investigation
will go Into the effects Of the re-
cent decisions OF the Supreme Court
! upon the Sherman law. The need
for control OF great industrial cor
porations and the beet methods of
| Federal regulation will be tho pri-
mary objects Of the investigation.
| In order to make the hearings as d.
rect as possible. 1t IL proposed TO hold
| them in the various important com
mercial centers. such as New. YORK,
| Philadelphia and Chicago. This will
| be Of great advantage because hereto
| fore IL has been difficult to compel wit
nesses to come to Washington and to
/ force the corporation To bring their
books here In all probability hearings
| will be held in many other cities. The
| great captains Of industry, the Nor
gans. the Rockefeller. the Grays. and
numerous other OF that type win ha
| called upon to express their views,
and 10 give advice as To what they
think would be best legislation for
| control OF big corporations
Get Plan For Control.
II 10 expected that the committee will
develop information to be used as q
| basis for the ultimate working out Of
r
! for control OF all corporations. Just
what the plan viii be. 1t Il inpossi-
eiFe tn state. II maj 1rsasofr naetrti CORR
pleta government control One thing
| is certain, publicity concerning corpor-
| atoms will be a most important aues-
tion. Whether the government has the
right to appoint inspectors to examine
books and methods employed by cor
| porations, will be decided. There is
great demand on the part OF the
people for more publicity Of the affairs
| OF corporations Suggestion has been
made OF government Incorporation and
federal licensing. but these seem TO be
| impractical
The Senate is displaying art unusual
interest in the matters. 1t fully real
lies the existing situation. with scores
Of combinations living In virtual de-
| hance OF the Sherman law. This con-
dition cannot last long.
| Many persons realize the inefficiencv
OF the Sherman law. 1t merely 10 the
first step toward the control Of cor
! porations. 1t II impossible to always
rigidly enforce the law. The Difficult
ties are so great, that they are recog-
nized by almost everyone Conditions
are such that the public 10 demanding
action. Agitation Ii brewing all over
| the country, and the control OF corpor-
atoms Will be one OF the most impor-
t&Ht pi6uh1 III tHG pi6NIpItH Ot tH0
two great political parties when they
hold their conventions next year.
intsrost in Question.
Some indication Of the interest in tbs
question was shown the other day when
| Senator Newlands, OF Nevada, intro
duced bin providing commission
| for the control Of the industrial cor
| porationa, much like the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Senator New
lands 10, ons Of the Democrats who is
anxious for strong federal control OF
corporations.
The Senate Is not alone In the de-
sire for action in the matter. Repre-
| sentative Martin, OF South Dakota, has
long been studying the situation, and
being a member OF the House Com
mittee on Interstate Commerce. hopes
to press consideration Of 1t at the next
session Of Congress.
II the Senate conducts the proposed
investigation. It cannot be doubted thai
1t WIN lead to renewed and widespread
public discussion of this tremendous
legislative reform. The committee 10
made up OF some OF the ablest men
In the Senate. such as Clapp. Crane,
Cummins, Townsend. Bradoggoc. New
lands. and Gore. Most of these men
have been concerned with the extension
Of the interstate commerce laws, and
are well prepared to study lawmaking
for control Of corporations.