Evening star., 1913-11-19
EXTENSIVE PROBE
DAVIES PROGRAM
Head of Bureau of Corpora
ti0ns Would Investigate
S0-CaIIed Trusts.
$500, 900 is NEEDED
TO DEFRAY EXPENSES
Proposed Inquiry in No Way to Con
fict With Any Inquiries Con-
Quoted by Congress.

| Extensive Investigations OF all of the
! so-called trusts of the country will be
undertaken IL Congress will provide the
bureau of corporations with $6OO.OO0 to
defray the expenses. according to COM
missioner Joseph +. Davies. Mr. Davies
will recommend the appropriation of this
amount. 1t will be. Mr.. Davies declared,
the most extensive work ever undertaken
by the bureau of corporations
part of this investigation will be g.
scientific study of the trust problem to
determine the question of fact as to the
alleged advantages of economies in pro-
duction by the trust form Of enterprise.
This is the investigation which Secretary
Redtield in several of his speeches de-
clared he would have the bureau of cor
porations institute.
Another part of the proposed investiga-
ton will be the compilation of informa-
ton regarding all of the large corpora.
tlons of the country. that 1t will be
available In the framing of legislation or
the determination of executive action in
the future.
I'VE propose" said Mr. Davies, ito
ask the corporations to fill out blanks
giving all valuable information about
their organization; conduct and manage,
ment.' which is the language employed
in the law creating the bureau"
The proposed Investigations to be
started by the bureau will in no way con-
fiict with those Investigations which have
been conducted by Congress. The evils
shown to exist by those Investigations
will be remedied by Congress, Mr.. Davies
believes.
Chairman Stanley's Views.
Chairman Stanley of the steel investi-
eating committee Of the House. outlining
his views on trust legislation, said:
Congress should start out to prohibit
the taking of property without sufficient
consideration by the duress Of monopoly
just as it now Furnishes the taking OF
property without sufficient consideration
by the duress Of threatened violence or
by fraud.
Agreements for the purpose of restrict
ing production, controlling output or fix
ing the price of commodities by concerns
engaged in their production are essential
ly vicious and should be rigidly pro-
hibited.
This thing Of appointing commissions
to determine to what extent monopolists
may organize monopolies, just how far
trade may be restrained and under what
circumstances the law may be violated
should not be tolerated for an instant.
Action by Courts Essential.
''What we need is not commissions to
regulate trusts, but courts armed with
power to punish them. / am sick and
tired of this palaver Of men who have
accumulated hundreds Of millions by the
plunder of the American consumer posing
before committees Of Congress and COM
missions of all kinds and arrogating to
themselves the privilege Of supervising
the law to regulate their conduct.
i am in favor of short and simple acts
clearly defining and rigidly Furnishing the
devices by which competition Is stifled,
trade restrained and all manner Of rebates
secured from common carriers. These
laws should provide for the rigid exclu-
sion of such monopolies from interstate
commerce and for a long and wholesome
term Of Imprisonment sor the individuals
who persist in organizing them in fragrant
defiance OF the law"