Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-04
IORMER CASE UP IN SENATE
Committee on Expenses Opens Way
for Reinvestigation.
TRUST GRIPS THE sHoEMAKERs
Charges Are Made Simultaneously in
Both Chambers.
MACHINERY MEN IN CONTROL
Witness Says American Manufactur-
ers Must Pay BiE Prices and
Buy ExcIusivcIy of the
Combine.

WASHINGTON, May 3-The investI-
eating trend Of congress took wide range
today. for inquiries into the affairs Of the
United States Steel corporation the Ameri-
can Sugar Refining company and the
American Woolen company, were placed
on the program Of the democratic house:
the shoe industry was under fire; and a
senate committee on expenses opened the
way for re-investigaton of the charges
against Senator Lorimer Of Illinois
Revolutions directing that such commit
tees probe the records to determine
whether any of the first three named big
corporations are operating in violation of
the antitrust, interstate commerce or ma
tional banking laws, have been started on
the legislative ways. The Steel trust reso-
luton, the creation of Representative stan
ley OF Kentucky, was approved by the
house committee on rules and was reported
20 the house
Representative Iardwick Of Georgia Is
the author Of the resolution providing for
inquiry into the American Sugar Refining
company and this will he considered by
the rules committee tomorrow. II the
committee has time It also may consider a
similar resolution submitted by Representa-
tive Francis of Ohio, directing that a spe-
cial committee OF five be named to INQUIRE
into tho American Wooden company.
Whether there is a trust in will in this
country is information desired by men in
terested in the wooden schedule
Opposition TO Free shares.
Opposition attacking the proposed re-
moval OF the duty on shoes, as provided in
the free bill now before the house of reb-
resentatives developed simultaneously in
the senate and house ends of the canital
While large shoe manufacturers testified
to the senate finance committee they were
forced TO keep prices high because they
were in the grip of a shoe machinery trust
which controlled absolutely every manu-
factufer OF shoes IN this country, Repre-.
sentative Weeks, on the floor OF the house
was praising tn econoern which owns ali
me patents on and controls all the shoe
machinery in the United States 49,
The manufacturers sasei aFIs trusf onsr.
ated on different basis with foreign
manufacturers from what IL does with
those in this country, for one thing allow.
ing those abroad to use some of their owr
machinery.
Senator Bailey told the manufacturer,
that, In his opinion. their contracts will
the trust could be proved Illegal; that IL
spite OF the shoe machinery companies
patent rights, he thought their action coul,
be be'construed as an effort to restrain trad
and he said the attorney general nigh
mako some trouble for the trust after h,
had learned Of the statements In the hear
ings.
Representative Difendorfer of Pennsyl
vania introduced resolutions calling upoI
the secretary of the navy and the secretar,
OF war to furnish congress with infor
nation relating to shoe contracts for tn,
army and navy prior to 1909. Similar reso
lutions introduced last week by Represen
tative Gardner were confined to 1902, 1911
anC 1911.
The Gardner resolution regarding nava
shoe contracts was passed by the hous
yesterday and the committee on militar,
affairs Is about TO report faYorably oi
the proposed inquiry into army contracts
The inquiries were based upon charge
made by MIR. Dlfendorfer, that one sho
manufacturing concern has a monopoly oi
government contracts and has frozen out
all competitors.
INQUIRY INTO WOOLEN TRUs7
WASHINGTON, May s.-Congressiona
Inquiry into the existence of an allege