Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-06-05
F1RM ON TRUST PLAN.


The President has emphatically rejected
suggestion from the manufacturers OF
the Middle West that the administration (
antitrust legislative program be reduced
He took issue with the statement that
big business is hesitating because of the
bills pending in Congress. He insisted that
there is no material condition or substan-
tial reason why the business of the coun-
try should not be in the most prosperous
and expanding condition.
Senator Atlee Pomerene, of Ohio. led
the delegation to the White House. The
party included delegates Of the National
Implement and Vehicle Association, the
Ohio Manufacturers Association, and the
Illinois Manufacturers Association. They
told the President they favored immediate
passage of the bill providing for an inter.
state trade commission, but thought the
other antitrust measures should be held W
until the business interests of the country
could have more time to digest their con.
tents.
Here is the petition, signed by the prin.
cipal officials of the organizations. which
was presented to the President:
We, the undersigned representing the
National Implement and Vehicle AssOcia-
ton, the Ohio Manufacturers Association
and the Illinois Manufacturers Association,
in which States the Manufacturing indus
try represents 33,l54 factories, employing
l,O84.O0O employees, with an annual pay
roll of $782. 365,OOO. desire to cooperate
with the Congress in legislation which will
eliminate business abuses.
I'VE favor an interstate trade commits
sion properly regulated, but we are opposed
to all legislation which is discriminatory,
and we ask that all other business legisla-
ton be deferred until the business men of
the United States can become acquainted
with the proposed laws. of which they are
now entirely Ignorant.
Our reasons for this request are that
business throughout the country is hesitat-
ing. The unemployed are numbered by
hundreds of thousands. Abundant capital
awaits investment.
I'VE believe that much of the proposed
legislation is potent cause of unemploy-
ment of capital and labor at this time.
AN assurance from Congress and the
administration that after the passage of
a trade commission bill no more business
legislation would be enacted until the
country has time to become acquainted
with il, would reassure business interests,
give capital courage and employ labor.
we. therefore, respectfully urge that
all trade legislation except that relating
to the creation Of trade commission, be
postponed until the country can study the
subject. the trade commission being one
Of the helps to that end"
The President said in reply that in his
judgment nothing was more dangerous
for business than uncertainty; that it had
become evident, through long series of
years. that policy such as the Democratic
party was now pursuing, was absolutely
necessary to satisfy the conscience of the
country and its perception of the prevailing
conditions of business; and that it was a
great deal better to do the thing moderately
and soberly now than to wait until more
radical forces had accumulated, and it was
necessary to 60 much further.
He also said that while he was aware
Of the present depression of business, there
was abundant evidence that it was merely
has &, Ill
condition or substantial reason why the
business of the country should not be in
the most prosperous and expanding con-
dition. He urged upon his visitors the
necessity of patriotic cooperation on the
part of the business men of the country,
in order to support. rather than oppose,
the moderate processes of reform. and to
help guide them by their own intimate
knowledge of business conditions and pro-
cesses. He told his visitors that it was
his earnest desire to serve and not to him
der or injure the business OF the country
in any way. and that he believed upon re-
Election they would see that the course he
was urging would not only in the long run,
but in the short run also. be the wise and
serviceable course.
BY indirection the President served no.
tice on the Senate committee on interstate
commerce that he would not permit any
postponement of the trust legislative pro-
gram. The whole program as outlined in
the three House bills must be put through.
The majority of the Senate committee
with considerable Democratic strength back
of it. favors the enactment of the New
lands bills for the creation Of trade COM
mission, giving it powers to investigate and
report to the next session. and there put
all other trust questions aside until this
report has been received.