Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-26
Hearings May
 Begin in Week
PLANS TO. PUSH ANTITRUST
 PROGRAMME
HOUSES TO COOPERATE
Joint Hearings Are Proposed and Ad- vice Will Be Solicited from States men and Captains of Industry.

Washington, Jan. 25.--How to expe- dite the antitrust legislative pro- gra7Ine outlined to congress last week by President Wilson was the subject or an informal conference today at the home of Senator Newlands of Ne Nada, chairman of the senate commit tee on interstate commerce. Partici patins in the conference were the ma jority members of the committee, Sen ators Pomerene. Robinson, Thomas Thompson, Myers and Salisbury, and Representatives Clayton, Flood and Csrlin of the house Judiciary sub committee.
 Cooperation of committees in both houses of congress was agreed upon as essential to the quickest and best results in carrying the programme to completion. and. to this end, the Sug- gestion of joint hearings on the bills already prepared met with general favor. Chairman Clayton agreed to submit the matter to the Judiciary committee for determination.
 Suggestions to Be Solicited.
 The conferees further agreed that there should be selection in conduct of the hearings: that matters which recently, have thoroughly been in quired into by committees of congress should be dismissed as briefly as pos siple and that representative men should be- called upon for suggestions. Such men would include members of congress outside the committees and leaders ill the commercial and indus trial thought of the country. It also was determined that the committees should seek counsel of Attorney Gen eral McReynolds, Joseph E. Davies, the commissioner of corporations mem bers of the interstate commerce com mission and the president.
 An effort will be made to begin the hearings next week, the first bills to be taken up being those relating to prohibition of interIocking directorates, "cut-throat' competition. The aims of the committees, it was said, would be to have the programme ready TOT con- gress by March l.
 Doubt as to Holding Companies.
 Further joint conferences of com mittees in charge of trust legislation will be held tomorrow. andr Tuesday the house judiciary committee will meet to pass upon proposed plans for hearings on the bills submitted.
 Besides plans for hearings, the sub committee composed Of Representa- tives Clayton, Floyd and Carlin pro- poses to confer with the president and administration leaders on an amend ment to the trade relations bill which would prohibit holding companies. It was concerning this feature. of the programme that President Wilson has said he is still openminded Tn his message to congress on the trusts the chief executive referred to this feature in an interrogatory form.
 The administration leaders there fore, still are considering this phase of the subject, and it was because of the doubt as to how far to proceed that no effort was made to include pro- visions relating to holding companies in the tentative bills made public last week.
 Investigation of Mine Conditions.
 The house interstate and foreign commerce committee also is expected to meet during the week to take up the interstate trade commission bill, Chairman Adamson planning to study carefully the measure already submit- ted by the judiciary sub- committee. This committee and the senate inter state commerce committee also will begin deliberations on the proposed measure to give the interstate com merce commission authority to regu- late the issuance of railroad securi- ties.
 While the preliminary anti trust programme is being shaped congress has much to keep it busy. The pro posed federal investi zation of condi- tions in the Michigan copper and Col orado coal mines will engage the at tention Of both houses during the week. Tomorrow the senate committee on education and labor will take up for consideration the Ashurt and Thomas resolution on this subject.