New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-25
BUSINESS LOBBY"
CRIES ENOUGH"
eague of Commission
Merchants Begs Halt on
antitrust Bills.
ORGANIZATION HEAD
WRITES TO WILSON
.sts President to Delay Pro-
qramme Until Trade Com
mission Has Investigated.

A.~ a;niouitous lobby" having
Anot' ...,,,.ose the defeat Of President
,ot iss snti-trust bills. is scheduled
ssSsi;seoverv" in Washington WITHIN
10 80 few DAYS. II consists OF bust
wy zen who believe that trade IS
,s,a.t and that business needs
,5 VIM also believe that they
ts &c inalienable right to tell their
80 and Congressman all about II.
S.''e,sibl according TO present
Wa.hington standards, they fear they
arc lobbyists" ~..;s.;o,,
The National League OF Commission
,tdr.ko,ts with branches in thirty
.a,.en cities and nineteen states, IS the
T5or this time. Its members have
49,, writing TO Senators and Con-
s,ressmen. urging them to quit.
Iobn q Scales, president OF the
sa;7ot;on has started the ball roll
s bv writing a letter TO President
Wslson himself. telling him business IS
,,.ry had. and urging him to lay over
bie antitrust legislation until the IN
torstate Trade Commission is appointed
and the question thoroughly investl-
gated by it. ~.
In his letter to the President Ny:
Scales points out that the members CT
his organization favor the creation OF
an interstate trade commission, put ne
Teve that call additional Legislation
affecting the general business OF tne
country should be deferred until tne
coro,,issiop has ample time to ascer-
tain what legislation IN amenomenU %
or sunplemeutal TO the Sherman act IT
onvC e required to properly regulate
or suppress such trusts or combln9-
t;o,s ~ may be in restraint Of trade
or inimical 70 the general welfare.
Calls Stagnation General.
aThat there is a general and TN
wonted stagnation in trade cannot be
gainsaid,' Mr.. Scales told the Presl-
don't in his letter. "While by many
fbis staenation is attributed 10 the un-
certainty as TO the final effect Of the
present tariff. quite as large a num-
her attribute the prevailing dulness 20
the fear that business in general IS 70
be harassed and hampered by such a
multiplicity Of drastic laws as to result
in widespread depression and disaster.
"Speaking for the line of business
fruits and general PRODUCT repre-
sented By this organization, we would
most respectfully state that we are IN
fun accord with all legislation looking
20 the welfare Of the country and the
people at large: in fine, all legislation
tending to place business upon the
highest plane Of equity and probity;
but arc unqualifedly and unalterably
opposed to the enactment Of such a
multiplicity Of eXacting, veNatiOus and
inquisitOrial laws as shall check not
only corporate, but even private enter
prises. ending finally in unbalanclrg
the whole vast business interests CT
the country. eventuating in the two
fold disaster of opening the great mar
ket of the United States to foreign
made goods, while losing our own mar
ket to our own people and depriving
the United States of all hope Of com
peting with her manufactures with
other manufacturing nations IN tire
markets Of the world.
Pleads for More Time.
ave are in the midst Of battle OF
the nations for trade supremacy, and
we must be careful how we undermine
and sap the energy and take the spirit
and heart out Of that multitude OF
business men and manufacturers who
with intent TO wrong no one, nor break
any laws, are yet put constantly IN
fear Of some portentous and over
shadowing law; often 80 ambiguous,
that oftentimes even the courts cannot
agree upon its proper Interpretation,
and vet when the courts disagree, the
business community is held cuipable
even to the point of oriminality.
at is not TO say that we oppose all
further legislation touching improper
trusts or combinations in restraint Of
trade. On the contrary, we favor such
legislation. but believe 1t should be
APPROACHED and carried out with the
greatest care. We know Of no better
nor safer way to obtain sound and safe
trade legislation than through the dis
interested help of non-partisan
trade commission. Consequently, we
believe that all additional trust legis-
lation should be halted until the ap-
pointment and organization OF the In
terstate Trade Commission. and until
its findings and recommendations are
submitted to the President and the
Congress"
A copy of the letter was also sent
10 Senator Newlands, author of the In
terstate Trade Commission bill
The National League of Commission
Merchants is made up principally OF
men who handle farm products for the
farmers. It's members claim It's bust
ness is a pretty good barometer OF al
business conditions. They already have
begun TO follow the example Of Mr.
Scales by sending letters to their Sen
ators and Congressman.