The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-05-04
Plans to Break ssSteel, Sugar
and Wool Trusts
UNITED SHOE MONOPOLY
Big Machinery Concern Alleged to Be
Violating the Law--Protest by Shoe
ManufactureTs-Ge At
tack at Washington.

Washington, May 4 -This was trust
investigation day in Congress and its
committees. The resolution Of Repre-
sentative Stanley OF Kentucky providing
for the creation OF a House commit
tee OF nine members to investigate the
United States Steel corporation was
favorabIy reported by the committee ON
rules. Representative. Hardwick Of
Georgia introduced resolution calling
for the investigation of the American
Sugar Refining company A thorough
inquiry into the scope and activity of
the so.eaIled wool trust is asked for in
resolution introduced by Representa-
tive Francis of Ohio All the inquiries
have been started by Democrats.
What started out to be placid hear
ing Of opponents OF free boots and
shoes developed before the Senate fl
nance committee into an excited dis
cussion of the alleged misdeeds OF the
United Shoe Machinery company OF
Boston. So startled were some Of the
committee by stories It'd BY shoe
manufacturer from Chicago Milwau-
kec and St Louis that senators took
a hand in the discussion and Bailey OF
Texas volunteered the statement that
iii the reports Of these hearings are
transmitted to the attorney general the
United Shoe Machinery company will
have trouble on its hands" Senator
Bailey added that the contracts made
with American shoe manufacturers are
clearly invalid and their signature in
some states would be punishable at
law. A point of Importance bearing
upon the tariff situation was the
charge made by the manufacturers that
contracts made by the company with
users of its machines in Europe notably
in England, were more favorable to the
user than those with American con-
Germs and placed the latter at disad-
vantage which would be serious in case
the duty of ten per cent. was removed
1t il understood the resolution calling
for the steel corporation inquiry will
be brought before the House at an early
date and passed so that the inquiry may
be begun Immediately.
The American Sugar Refining COM
pany is to be investigated by Congress
ii resolution introduced in the House
yesterday by Representative Hardwick
of Georgia receives the sanction of the
committee on rules, of which he is a
member, and is passed by the House
as it is conceded it will be.
The resolution proposes to create an
investigating committee of nine mem.
bers to be elected by the House, to be
charged with the duty of probing the
Organization and operation of the
American Sugar Refining Company
with special view to obtaining in.
formation as to possible violations OF
the antitrust act and the customs
laws and as to the attitude Of the
executive branch of the government to.
ward such violations.
This is aimed at the sugar trust Gus
toms frauds and their settlement, in
which the trust paid millions of dollars
of customs duties out of which it had
defrauded the government.
A thorough inquiry into the actiyi.
ties of the so-caled wool trust is
authorized in resolution presented il
the House yesterday by Representative
Francis, a Democrat from Ohio. The
resolution mentions the American Wool
en- company of Boston as the holding
concern of the alleged trust, which, by
inference in charged with violations Of
the antitrust and interstate commerce
acts