The Washington times., 1914-09-08
WILSON MUST FILL
IMPORTANT POSTS
New Trade Commission Will
Rank With Interstate Com
merCe Board.

! President Wilson will soon have on
! his hands the selection Of a body which
will rank in importance with the Fed
eral Reserve Board. the Interstate Com
merce Commission and with the courts.
This is the new Interstate Trade Com
mission
The I'LL providing for this commission
/ will soon become d law. Tha House and
Senate are about -0ldy 10 TdOpt the
C. inference committee report and tho
Dill Will then 20 to the President for
signature. in ter daVs or tNO weeks,
the bill is likely TO be written INTO the
statutes.
The new commission will havo large
powers and II will lind. in that part
OF the measure Aich prohibits unfair
methods Of competition" that II mas I
weapon OF great capacity. S'natOr
CLmmins. who led tn Senate tight Tor
this feature = II h.ll. I .Iar"s that
.A.- part Of th" nov law will prov"
,0' 'ulv lmpOrtaa. but wIll d,rellp
l!sro q NOR powerful preEaltii'a Of
m"MoD"Iy tM&r. I@e sherman law. itst r.
81" regards it as long step in ad-
vance.
Much now depends on the kind Of men
chosen for the commission. II strong
and aDle men are selected. men of pro
iressive views and the courage to put
IEcir views into force. this commission
Will soon be hard from. Moreover, the
I,w law will become the basis from
which stronger legislation can be built
uv in the next several years.
II Il weak and innoCunus commission
Is selected, however. the new Ody Will
not merely make the existing situation
10 botfcT. but may make II much worse.
IT," Interstate Commerce COmmss sion
j. recent years is one Of the Govern
2lenr a-cHcioS which has succeeded in
maintaining n high standard and which
has been trusted by the public The 80
sui has been the gradual enlargement
az Its powers. II romans to he seen how
lg this situation will continue. Lat
1arly. there has been a widespread be
l'f that the railroads were reaching
cat with some success TO surround tho
'pmmlssi"n and gan control Of il.
s~prnc OF the recent appointments TO III"
commission have been Of men accused
Cf :an.nE too heavily TO tho railroad
: de The appointment Of Winthrop NJ.
Of New jersey. was assailed
hccause Of his views recardin" the val
l alton Of corporations and the criticism
J anti-railroad quarters has not been
( .ss, ned since Commissioner Daniels.
! the advanced rate case came out for
, - full ; per cent increase asked by
: - railroads.
Nov the commission is under stress
to do more for the railroads, and its
course will he watched closely by ship
nore and others who are opposed TO
higher rates
Tho Ir,nrs;ate Trade Commission
y III he under a scruti1v as keen as
Tho Interstate Commerce Commission.
II It sets out to give clean bills Of
health to great corporations AID com
hinations which the public believes TO
be reprehensihle. 1t viii get into hot
water Immediately. and so will III"
Administration responsible for II. The
task Of choosing men competent for the
commission Is poiD1 TO proV, a CiffiCult
one. II would be hard enough at best,
blr alreadv the Doliticians arc busy.
and the White House viii he under
strong pressure TO make the Comnlis-
sion place for the payment OF political
debts