New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-20
The Senate Losing Interest IN the
Denatured Antitrust Bills.

lt IS lust about month since VIZ "''0"
tho Virginia Editorial Association That the "u"'"
istration's programme Of antitrust IeslS'"'lon
"complcte" and predicted Its speedy eh"''l
Eut enactment still fingers Although the h0"''
hills which constituted the finished wilson pro
,r,nrne have been torn To- pieces ana pa'cne"
,,otbnr again the Senate is still reluctant 10 pass
,bom They have been greatly improved by inc
elimination Of crudties all along the line ""'
even so the Democratic leaders Ill the SENATE "a"
get I'M very little enthusiasm over them
These leaders realize that a vast amount %
useless labor has zone into effort to do something
which really doesn't need to he done. The admin
,stration started out with the idea that II was
necessary 10 supplement and invigorate the Sher
man antitrust law. Mr.. Clayton ana the o'"e'
Uouse antitrust dentists tried to put lot "l n'''
new teeth into the sherman act But at practicaI!
every point at which the present provisions against
monopoly or conspiracy to RESTRAIN traue NV''
>oucht 10 he supplemented the experiment Droke
down. The proposed new law did not clarity OF
strengthen the existing statute IT simply OVER
loaded and confused it, The Senate committees
have been busy for the last four or i've weeks rip
ming out the Clayton Rayburn- Covingon dentistry
What they have seen of the work of those bunsers
has virtually convinced them that the sherman law
doesn't need new teeth at all
What is the advantage for instance. of giving
an Interstate Trade Commission power to PUNISH
interstate corporations engaging in unfair coinIe
tition" when nobody knows what such term
means? If unfair methods lead 10 restraint oil
trade they can he dealt with already under the
sherman law If they don't lead 10 restraint oi
,rade the commission doesn't need to worry about
them Why strain and cositate to meet situation
which il isn't necessary to meet:
# * exactly the same with the ClaytonGomperS
trick amendments giving or merely pretending to
rive union labor and farmers organizations eN-
cmption from prosecution for violations of the
antitrust law If the amendments grant union
1aborers and farmers no privileges which they DO
not already haye-aS the President insists is the
,asc-what is gained 10y merely saying that what
is the law is the law: But if it is intended to
offer special class privileges to two special classes
why incur the di>peaSure and enmity of all other
classes The National Association of Retail Deal
cr> for example is about 10 descend ON congress
to ask why its organization shouldn't be allowed
10 have the same exemption as is being offered L"
Tho farmers and the Federation Of Labor people
Why. indeed. shouldn't It? II they are not to be
prosecuted for carrying out the legitimate objects
Of their association whatever those objects may
be- the organized retailers ought not 10 be prose
.utcd for clashing to similar extent with the
sherman law.
The antitrust bills in the original form in which
MIR. Wilson approved them were destructive and
vicious. In the form which the Senate commit
ices are giving them they are far less dangerous
But on the other hand they are degenerating more
and more into mere surpluSase No public advan-
tase will result from passing them. II is the real
ization Of this fact that makes them drag so wofu
" in the Senate Nobody there is able to get ex-
cited over measures whose only thunder is in the
title page.