New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-23
DEMOCRATS ADOPT
ANTITRUST BILLS


legislation might be- this newspaper took
an old bill now pending before the Ju-
dietary Committee and published 1t YER
batim. We have not adopted the LenrOot
bill, as reading of the bill we shall
really report will indicate. The CON-
mittee has considered a dozen bils, In
troduced to amend the Sherman law, has
consulted with various lawyers and with
members Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, and the assumption that we
have copied the Lenroot bill is ridiculous.
The Stanley committees bill, as
finally perfected to-day, contains
features Of perhaps a dozen antitrust
measures introduced in the House and
Senate, without following closely the
lines laid down in any one measure.
The Lenroot bill is still pending before
the Judiciary Committee, where II Is
temporarily pigeonholed following its
exploitation as the Stanley committee
bill.
The committee bill amending the In
terstate Commerce law contains the
following principal propositions:
That il shall be unlawful for any per.
son, company, firm or corporation en-
gagged in mining or manufacturing
products OF any kind or description
interstate or foreign commerce by car
riers subject to the provisions Of the
act to regulate commerce, approved
February q, 1887, as amended, to own,
in whole or in part, directly or indi-
rectly, by stock ownership or otherwise,
any railroad or other line Of trans.
portation, or the property Of either, Of
any common carrier subject to the pro.
visions Of this act.
Members of the Stanley steel com.
mittee drafted this bill after consulta-
ton with members Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission. and the chair
man OF the committee holds a note
from the commission expressing the
belief that II this bill is enacted into
law it Will meet the evil resulting from
joint ownership Of industrial corpora
tons and railroads
A second section OF the bill provides
That il shall be unlawful for any per.
son, company, firm or corporation who,
or which, owns, holds or in any way
controls a majority Of the capital stock
Of any other corporation engaged in
operating a line of transportation as a
common carrier in the Transportation
Of passengers or property wholly by
railroad Tor partly by railroad and
patty by water, when both are used
under a common control, management
or arrangement for a continuous car.
riage or shpment) and engaged in in
terstate or foreign commerce, to oper-
ate or by any manner or means partici-
part Of such line, or TO ship over such
limo in interstate commerce any article
or commodity bought, sold, manufaet.
ursd. mined or produced by, or under
tho control Of, or owned in whole or
In part by, or in which any interest d.
rect or indirect, is held by any such
person, firm, corporation or company
so owning majority OF the capital
stock.
The bill provides that each days vio-
lation of the proposed act shall be g
separate offence.
An amendment OF this character
would prohibit any industrial corpora
ton from shipping its products over a
railroad which IT owns directly or in
directly.
Charging that the Steel Trust has
grown powerful through control Of rail.
roads. Chairman Stanley said to-day
that If the bills were approved and
steel trusts and other trusts were com.
PEELED to ship their products over in"
dependent lines the trust problem
would be largely met.
The profits of the Steel Corporation,
S13 a ton" Mr.. Stanley said, ARE due
almost entirely TO the advantages
which the Steel Corporation gains
either as an owner of railroads or on
preferential rates from other lines"
In the bill 10 amend the Sherman
law, 1t is declared that prima facie evil
dence of restraint of trade shall exist:
Whenever tho vendor does busine.
directly or indirectly under any other
name than his own.
Whenever the vendor spies upon
tho business Of any competitor.
Whenever tho vendor attempts to cut
prices below the cost Of production 10
prevent competition or to kill II. -.
Whenever the vendor fixes exorpltant
material which he controls.
Whenever the vendor refuses to sup
oily to a person the article he controls
upon the same terms under which no
supplies others.
Whenever the vendor attempts 70
apportion territory, or 10 use any otner
unfair or oppressive method OF COM
petition.
The Democratic bills are approved
with the exception OF that section re-
lating TO burden OF proof, by all Demo
Gratis Of the committee. Mr.. Lit'letoh
alone dissents on the burden of proof
issue. contending that defendant cor
poratlons should not bear the ouru'"
of proof when charged with unre asoh-
able restraint of trade, but that NV
must prove unreasonap"
restraint.
Mr.. Littleton is preparing a s'ale
ment explaining why he will refuse "
sanction that section os the Dill trau'
farrtng Ia all CHALLENGED COrpOfdlI0"s