Evening star., 1914-11-25
APPOINTMENTS AWAITED
TO TRADE Commission
Selection Of Members by President
Matter Of Great Moment to
the Public.

The appointment OF members of the
newly created federal trade commits
sion, which the President is expected
to send to the Senate soon after Con-
gress assemblies. is being awaited with
the keenest interest. The important
position which this commission will
occupy in regard to business in the
United States makes the selection Of
the members a matter Of great mo-
ment.
That the new commission and the
many employees which 1t must have to
carry on the work designated for it
IN the Newlands trade commission law
soon will become one Of the largest as
well as one of the most important
sections Of the government is being
impressed upon the public more and
more.
1t is estimated that the commission
will have Jurisdiction over moro than
100000 corporations in this country,
comprising practically all the big busi-
ness Of the country outside Of the
railroads. over which the Interstate
commerce commission will continue to
have supervision. The interstate COM
merce commission has Jurisdiction over
two thousand and odd corporations. 1t
cost last year to operate the interstate
commerce commission about $s,o00,0 900
In the case Of the federal trade COM
mission, it is estimated by some of the
once In full swing. it will cost the gov
ernment In the neighborhood of $780,
100000 a year.
Estimates Will Be Scrutinized.
Undoubtedly the creating of such a
great organ Of the government will
provide a largo number Of lucrative
jobs. 1t is a foregone conclusion that
these jobs will go to democrats. When
the commission has been appointed es-
Inmates for the money it needs for the
first year of its operation will be sub
mitted to Congress. With the ever
of the republicans. now that the demo-
Gratis are responsible for the eXpendt-
lures of the public moneys, 1t is a safe
guess that the estimates for the new
commission will be carefully scruti-
nized.
Many OF the republicans in Congress
are declaring that the federal trade
commission will prove not only a use
try, but that 1t will prove a great ex-
pense to the people without any ade-
quate return. Senator Borah OF Idaho
insists that the commission will only
prOVlQ0 q great nunOSf OF well paying
Jobs to be parceled out to the politi-
clans favored by the party in power.
Called Leophole for violators.
'The federal trade commission said
Senator Borah, merely provides a
loophole Of escape for violators Of the
antitrust laws. The commission will
counsel with offenders and tell them
not to repeat their wrongdoing. If
the administration would only enforce
the Sherman antitrust law strictly. all
wrongdoing could be broken up and
the offenders punished. The Clayton
law, supposed to supplement the Sher-
man antitrust law, Is another farce.
The people will wake up to this some
day.
Senator Borah pointed out that under
the provision Of the trade commission
law the commission must keep in
touch and examine into the business of
the thousands of corporations which
come under its supervision each year,
whether they are offenders against the
laws or not. He insisted that this
work of supervision over the corpora
tions obeying the law was a useless
expense to the government