The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1911-05-18
WOULD AMEND
ANTITRUST Law
Bills IN Senate to Make All
Trusts Bad"
RESULT OF OIL DECISION
Democrats and Progressive RepubIi-
cans soIidIy Favor Measure to De-
prive Courts of Discrimination Be-
tween Good" and Bad" Trusts.

Washington, May 1S.-The expected
renewal OF antitrust legislation follow
! ing the Standard Oil decision in the
supreme court came when Senators
Jones, OF Washington; Brown, of Ne
braska; Culberson, of Texas, and
Reed, Of Missouri, introduced bills to
amend the Sherman antitrust law.
The bills are designed to offset the
Interpretation of the law as laid down
by Chief Justice White and seven of
his eight colleagues and to take away
from courts the discretion to differen-
tate between good" and bad" trusts.
In his opinion the chief justice read
the word unreasonable" into the law
to qualify restraint of trade"
One form Of amendment suggested
tentatively by progressive Republicans
follows:
mo combination in restraint of
trade shall be regarded as reasonable
within the terms of this act"
Mr.. Clayton, Democrat, chairman of
the house judiciary committee, said
that he thought the court had exceed
ed its constitutional powers, and that
it would be necessary for congress to
repair the injury that had been done
to the antitrust act. Mr.. Clayton said
that his committee would meet to take
up the question and to consider meas
ures for the maintenance of the in
tegrity Of the act as it was intended
and enacted by congress.
His Einu-C hn1ioyoi RI roHnat
those of the majority of the commit
tee, and the only difficulty before the
committee is to find the appropriate
means Of accomplishing what in the
general view Of the mater is regarded
as imperatively the need of the hour.
There is little doubt that an amend.
ment framed on some such lines would
pass the house by a large majority.
The Democrats stand practically SOL
idly for such action, and if opposition
appeared at all on the Republican
side it would be negligible in num-
bers. The insurgents to a man would
be for it,
President Taft's views of the Stand
ard Oil decision by the supreme court
have given rise to lively conjecture
in all quarters in the capital, although
the president himself refuses to make
any public comment.
While the message of the president
of Jan. Z, 1910, is quoted by some to
show that the reading of the word
unreasonable into the Sherman anti
trust law TO qualify restraint of
trade" was in line with his own
thought, others point to the same ut
terances to show that the president |
opposed any such qualification of the
act.
At the same time callers
White House thought they detected |
some disappointment on the part OF
the president over the courts narrow
ing construction of the statute, but 1t
was evident that Mr.. Taft expected
no handicap for the government from
this source in the actions it may deem
necessary against corporations.
The president declined to comment
upon the decision, but his visitors
gained the impression that he person
ally would have prefer decision
without the definite Eu..atior which
the supreme court has placed upon
the statute by reading the word ''un-
reasonable into the law.
The president told callers in reply
to questions that a man might hold
views of his own before a decision had
been made by the supreme court, but
that after the court had handed down
its opinion it was the part of a law
abiding citizen to accept it.
The president added, it is under
stood, that he was glad to bow to the
decision of the court and would be the
last man to express opposing views.
There will be no change in the atti-
tude OF the department of justice to-
ward the prosecutions of corporations
under the Sherman law. The depart
ment, it was said authoritatively, has
never attempted any actions under the
antitrust law except in cases where
an unreasonable restraint of inter-
state commerce was apparent.
The president and his advisers are
firmly of the opinion that the oil d
fision will not hinder the enforc
ment of the law and that the govern
ment will still be able to reach effec-
lively all bad trusts, which are the
only trusts that the administration has
ever had in mind as objects of prose-
cutiOn.
Liner Sights Huge Iceberg.
On