Evening star., 1914-07-17
ATTACK BY WORKS
ON TRUST PROGRAM
Intimates That Only White
House Demands Such
Legislation.


White House for any such legislation
as these trust bills?" demanded Sena-
tor Works of California. while attack
in the Senate today. IF there is it Is
not apparent" he continued.
who is likely to be benefited by it!
Nobody that this Congress is called upon
to aid Or protect. Some say that 1t is in
aid Of free competition. But what is
there in these bills to promote free and
fair competition? I maintain that instead
Of preserving free and fair competition,
their greatest tendency is to destroy all
competition and all effort to advance
trade. They are bound to put honest
men in such fear of the law as to take
away all incentive. all energy and effort
to advance their own trade.
THE country has been informed that
these bills will be passed at the present
session Of Congress. The President has
said it. and the majority in Congress
has not had the moral courage to say
no. To what depths of subserviency
to a power outside of this chamber
has the Senate of the United States
fallen?
Il have examined these bills as they
came over from the House, and they
have filled me with amazement. II the
business Of the country Is dishonest
enough and oppressive enough to justify
three bills. our conditions would seem to
be hopeless. and to remedy conditions by
law impossible
I'VE have one commission. the inter-
state commerce commission. with al
most plenary and unlimited power in
n business
OF the common carriers. We propose
by one Of these bills to extend this
power enormously and In respects most
vital to the corporations in the way OF
controlling absolutely and without limi-
tation. by this commission their right to
issue securities, thus giving the COM
mission to say what investments shall
be made by these corporations and for
what purposes.
Denounces the Trust Bills.
Senator Works gave an anlysis of the
three trust bills. and continued:
Their reading may well make one won
der whether we are living in free coun-
try in a civilized age or have gone back
to the dark ages, when force and despot-
ism ruled and controlled the rights OF
men.
This attempt to bring the business
OF the country under such a system OF
espionage, inquisition and subservience
OF Individual citizens to the unbridled
power of government by commission in
the transaction Of their private busi-
ness surpasses anything in the history
of this or any other civilized country
I'VE should look conditions squarely In
the face and try, II we are going to leg
islate at all, to get down to something
specific and practical Let us define of.
lenses specifically and send the man who
yfr,la kar Irry
not burden all the business of the coun-
try with such supervision and throttlins
inqu1sitions as are now proposed
Senator Weeks denounced in their en-
tirety both the trade commission bill and
the stock and bonds issue bill. He said
amount Of good in the Clayton antitrust
bill because it did attempt to make
specific some of the offenses it prohibit
ed. He warned the Senate that II it put
hands of trade commission it might
find later that the commission was in the
hands of the big business.
What Labor Unions Want.
The provisions in the Clayton bill
which are aimed to exempt the labor
unions from the provisions of the anti
trust laws Senator Works criticised. He
said that labor organizations already
were well treated under the laws.
What the laboring man wants is no,
exemption from liability for acts that il
committed by some one else would be a
crime" said Senator Works. He wants
and should have better wages. shorter
hours. better conditions under which to
work He wants justice. not privilege OF
favor. He wants to be able to live with
his wife and children as other men live
and the employers who deny him these
rights are sowing the wind and will rear
the whirlwind."