The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-08-07
IPROBERS HAVE RUN
UP AGAINST SNAG
Herbert Knox Smith Don't
Have to Give Congress
Any Trust Data.
az JONATHAN WINFIELD.

BY JONATHAN WINFIELD.
Washington, Aug. T. Democratic
members OF the House are beginning
to consider a plan for an amendment
to the existing law which provides
that the Commissioner OF Corpora
lions, clothed with authority to hunt
down the trusts, shall make report
only to the President, and that the
data collected by the commissioner
shall not be available for the use OF
sCongress unless the President so wills.
The House committee Investigating
the steel trust has run up against this
snag. and, greatly to the disgust Of
the committee it has been impossi-
BILE to extract any Information OF val
ne from Herbert Knox Smith, who
as commissioner of corporations, has
been busy for several years, presuma-
IDLY in an investigation of the trusts
land large corporations OF the coun-
try.
such a construction of the law Is
an utter absrrdity," said representa-
tive Martin Littleton, a member Of
the steel investigating committee.
1T is preposterous to think that Co
tordinate branch OF this government
has in its possession information
needed by another branch, and that
we are to be denied access to the rec
'ords."
His Refusal 10 Flat.
Commissioner Smith, however, re-
manned firm in his refusal to tell the
House committee anything about the
steel trust except what he had print
ed in his preliminary report. The
commissioner even refused to furnish
Ithe committee with table of the in
Nomination upon which he had based
khis report. and he could offer the
House investigators no aid whatever
s'Mnless the President gives his con-
sent"
The law creating the Bureau of
Corporations provided that the COM
missioner should have authority to
lprobe any corporation believed to be
10 possible monopoly in restraint of
(ttrade. He was given the power to de-
mand the production Of books, docu-
tments and cost sheets, and the COM
.missioner's word is presumed to be
an open sesame to the inner workings
OF any trust in the United States.
The commissioner investigated" for
several years the affairs of the United
States Steel Corporation and it's sub
salaries. The Stanley committee of
the House recently was authorized to
conduct sweeping investigation of
its own. and after 1t had proceeded
into the subject for several weeks,
Commissioner Smith was asked to aid
the committee in order that 1t might
not take the back track over some of
the ground already covered by the
authorized government agent
Mr.. Smith appeared before the com.
smittee. but he told 1t little. His non.
commital answers exasperated the
members 80 that 1t was stated that the
Jaw must be changed.
So far as being Of aid to the House
investigating committee is concerned
the Bureau makes it's report to the
President, and the President alone,
under the present law. Is given author.
1ty to make the reports public.
During the last national campaign II
was charged that the work of the Blu
reau had been used to extract large
campaign contributions from various
corporations who gave aid to the Re
publican cause. Democratic members
attacked the idea on the ground that
the Federal government had an unfair
advantage; that it had access to the
books of these large concerns, while
the Democratic party had no such &C
cess. and the trusts were under no OBJ
legations to democracy.
Latest Middle Arisen.
Now the latest muddle has arisen
and II is not out of reason to say that
the Democrats. now in control of the
House, are going to demand a change
dn conditions unless the President ev
dnces his willingness to turn over t.
the House committee some of the data
which II has taken the commissioner
several years to corral.
When the steel trust was asked fol
dts cost sheets, the expert accountant
sent to the Offices of the trust by tn,
committee was told that the cos
sheets had been sent to the commits
sioner of Corporations" and tina
therefore they could not be furnished
When the Commissioner himself wa,