The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-20
LEADERS ARRANGE
TO COOPERATE ON
TRUST LEGISLATION
Clayton and Newlands Head
Committee Discussing
Programme
TRADE COMMISSION
WILL BE CREATED
Commissioners TO Be Given Wide
Authority-Several Additional
Bills Determined
Upon

washington, January Ie.--Demoeratic
members Of the senate Interstate COM
mcrce committee and the House judic-
iary subcommittee held a joint confer
ence late today TO discuss proposed
antitrust legislation, On which he
President Will address Congress tomor-
row.
The conference, It was announced later.
Was arranged in the interest of co-ooper-
alton between the committees which viii
have charge of the trust legislative pre-
gramme 10 be framed following Pres
ident Wilson's message. Senator New
ands and Representative CLAYTON headed
the committee which will meet In Senator
Newand's office in the capitol
II was determined that there should bc
several bills in addition to a measure thaa
would create an interstate trade COM
mission.
The bill for the creation ef the trade
commission, it was stated, would provies
for a commission of five members to no
appointed by the President The commls-
sion would have authority TO conduit
investigations into complaints. to aid the
courts in the execution of DEGREES ane
vested with other powers of lending all
both to the government and business, tu
keep business in the straight path ani
avert the necessity for prosecutions
Basis of Measure
The basis for the measure was the
,rade commission bill introduced last ses-
sion by Senator Newlands. Many radical
features of the Newlands bill, however.
are said to have beel eliminated and
other features added which would coincide
with the views of the President. The
measure also contemplates the absorp-
lion by the proposed commission of tho
bureau of corporations COW branch of
The department of commerce.
Other bills were discussed, among them
measures to prohibit interiocllng director
etes, the control OF railroad securities
and prohibition of holding companies IL
was the general opinion that no measures
would be offered amending the terms OF
the Sherman act as 1t stands, hut that
all legislation would be supplemental.
1--WE had a general preliminary con-
ference ON the whole subject" said Sen
ator Newlands tonight. "and we found
that there is much Common ground b..
tween the committee as to the work he
tore US AS to the interstate trade COM
mission bill which has been outlined b.
the judiciary subcommittee. | was
amazed to find the fine suggestions that
have been made whereby such commits
sion can be of assistance to the courts
and to the government In the regulation
of big business"
To Widen Consultation
Senator Newlands added that the com
mittee discussed the question of hear
ings and of consultation with other mem
hers of Congress outside the committees
and that II was determined to widen tk
scope of consultation as the work ~,
gressed Eventually, after represent
tives of all parties have been consultc,..s
the bills may be made party meas sures
No decision has been reached as l.,
whether a democratic caucus will be
called to pass on the bills.
I'VE will give the widest latitude for
discusson,i said Senator Newlands I'VE
want every member OF Congress who has
Views OH this important subject to he
heard. When the committees have agreel
on the course to be pursued 1t Is our
purpose to widen our scope of consuta-
tion as much as possible before final ac-
tion. Later II may be deemed advisable
to present the bills finally drafted as
measures of the party in power