The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-06-25
SENATE BODY 0. KS
AN ANTITRUST BILL
NewIands Measure Favored by
Committee.
CREATES TRADE COMMISSION
Act Clothed With Much Power and
Strong Enough to Aid the Depart
mont Of Justice In Enforcing
Sherman Law.

sherman Law.
Washington, June 24.-The opening
gun of the administration antitrust
program was fred In the senate when
the committee on interstate commerce
| favorably reported the Newlands bill
for the formation Of a federal trade
commission.
In recognizing the necessity for the
immediate establishment of the trade
commission. the committee stated that
the bureau of corporations had been
limited in It's actions because 1t was
not given the authority necessary to
act Independently.
| Would Have Stopped Combines.
THE establishment of a trade COM
mission at the same time that the In.
terstate commerce commission was es.
tablished," reported the committee,
would have prevented the extraor.
binary development of monopolistic or
CARNATIONS in industry. II this com.
mission had been in existence during
this period we would not now have to
deal with such organizations as the
United States Steel corporation, the
International Harvester company, or
the American Sugar Refining company;
| the American Tobacco company would
not have survived the dissolution of
the original Standard Oil trust In 1892.
Such a commission would have at
least kept within bounds the activities
OF multitude of price-fixing organiza-
tons In different branches of business.
which, together with the great trusts,
have been potent causes of the present
high cost of living"
Purpose Of Trade Commission.
The purpose Of the trade commits.
sion is shown in the report as follows:
The committee has aimed to pro-
vide body which will have sufficient
power, ancillary to the department of
Justice, to aid materially and practical
ly in the enforcement Of the Sherman
law and to aid the business public as
well, and. incidentally, to build up a
comprehensive body of information for
the use and advantage Of the govern
ment and the business world. Its sub
sequent recommendations to congress
will be fortified with actual knowledge
Of practical conditions. both from the
point of view of business desirability
and economic tendency, and will fur
nish the congress an analysis of condi-
lions that will give other and further
legislation and the certainty and Sc
curity of foundation commensurate
with the vast interests Of the public
and of the business world which are
at stake.
Clothed viii Much Power.
III conditions demonstrate and war
rant. there will be annual growth in
the power Of this body. At the same
time the bill clothes 1t with sufficient
power to be, we believe. Of material as
sistance to the department of justice
in the enforcement Of the Sherman
law and of material aid to the bust
ness world in building up a body Of
precedents In the matter OF business
prsctises.
The legislation proposed is in line
with the constantly increasing popular
sentiment, as demonstrated by the re-
cent poll OF the chamber OF commerce
of the United States, which declared
overwhelmingly for such action. No
contention can be made that the work
OF congress on this subject has been
hasty or immature. It has not been
in advance OF public sentiment, but
rather has Jagged behind 1t"
The Newlands bill provides that the
commission shall be composed Of five
members with terms Of seven years.
Each commissioner Is to receive So
900 a year, and 1t is proposed that the
trade commission shall absorb the bu-
reau Of corporations of the department
Of commerce and that the duties now
devolving upon this bureau in future
will be performed by the new com
mission.
Democratic Leader Underwood made
his first move during the day for the
forcing OF an early adjournment by
obtaining unanimous consent In the
house for the consideration next Mon
day of pending legislation, irrespective
OF It's order on the house calendars,
Republican Leader Mann and Pro-
gressive Leader Murdoch Joined I'm
/ derwood, after the latter had an
nounced he had no intention to force
consideration on Monday OF any OF
the conservation bills. The latter
bills are considered part Of the presi.
dents legislative program for the
house