Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-09-02
Political Reform Measures.

president Aug. s.
Political Reform Measures.
Resolution Providing for the Direct
Election of Observation-Disclosures In
the house April 5: reported to the house
April II; passed the house April Is; re-
ceiyed by the senate and referred to
the committee on the judiciary April
II; reported TO the senate May L: pass
ed the senate June u; senate confer
ees appointed June 81; house confer
ees appointed July 5. This resolution
is still In conference
Publicity of Campaign Funds.-Intro-
duced in the house April 10; reported
to the house April IA; passed by the
house April IA; received by the senate
and referred to the committee on priv
ileges and elections April Is; reported
to the senate June 10; passed by the
senate July II; house conferees APP
pointed Aug. /; senate conferees APP
pointed Aug 2; conference report
agreed to by the senate Aug. 10; by
the house Aug. II. Signed by the
president Aug. 10.
OF the important legislation or leg
islative action remaining the senate
has not acted upon the arbitration
treaties with Great Britain and
France, which were reported to the
senate on Aug II.
The bone of contention in the bill
dirA0f NJ iG ha
senate amendment placing senatorial
elections under federal control. This
is the same amendment which defeat
ed 1t In the previous congress.
The chief difficulty In the way of
the arbitration treaties is the desire
of the senate to retain its control over
what shall be arbitrated and to ex-
empt certain matters from arbitration,
such as the Monroe doctrine and the
admission Of Asiatics into the United
States
The reason for the first veto of the
statehood BILL as already intimated.
was the recall OF judges feature in the
Arizona constitution. This was elimi-
mated In the secone bill.
Waiting For Tariff Board.
The chief reasons assigned by Presi.
dent Taft for the veto of the tariff bills
were that they were not scientifically
and carefully draw, that they were
not In harmony with the protective
principle and that the tariff board had
not yet reported. He promised that
before the next session the board
would report as to the wool schedule
and that he would then recommend
revision In accordance with such re-
port.
Trust Investigations were begun dur
ing the session. and they are still In
progress. Constructive legislation to
bear on federal regulation of corpora
lions is regarded as certain to come
as a result of the inquiries, and plans
already have been instituted to revise
the antitrust laws.
Special Investigations into the Unit
ed States Steel corporation and the
American Sugar Refining company
were undertaken to discover whether
these industrial organizations operated
In violation of the antitrust and In
terstate commerce laws. The inqui-
ries have been exhaustive and still
are In progress, though the sugar COM
mittee, headed by Representative
Hardwick of Georgia. practically has
concluded its work and will meet In
the fall to draft its report.
The Steel corporation inquiry devel-
oped many interesting facts, but the
predominant feature of the inquiry
was the emphatic public declarations
of great financiers that the Sherman
antitrust law Is TOO archaic to deal
with modern business methods. They
insisted that there must be new leg
islation to regulate the corporations
OF the country
Chairman Stanley OF Kentucky plans
to resume taking testimony In the fall
and hopes to have as witnesses An
drew Carnegie and J. Pierpont Nor
gan. Among the prominent men who
testified at great length before the
committee are former President Roose-
Welt, Judge e. III. Gary, chairman of
the board of directors Of the Steel
corporation; John w. Gates. since de
ceased: Grant b. Schley, Charles M.
Schwab, George w. Perkins, Lewis
Cass Ledyard. L. G. Hanna and Oak
leigh Thorne Colonel Roosevelt vol
unfairly appeared before the com
mittee In New York to defend his
course in approving the absorption OF
the Tennessee Coal and Iron company
by the Steel corporation during the
financial panic OF 1907.
| During the inquiry Judge Gary made
the startling proposal that the govern
ment be given control Of great corpo-
rations, even to the extent Of regulat-
ing prices. His assertion that the
| Sherman law was archaic" was re-
lterated by other witnesses. George
w. Perkins said constructive legisia-
tion was absolutely essential to the
needs of the great corporations of the
country. Publicity Of corporation af
rairs was advocated strongly by him
as one means OF eradicating existing
/ trust evils and to retain the great
4 A