The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-01-16
WILSON'S PLAN FOR TRUSTS
Fundamentals Include Elimination of
Uncertainty in Present Laws.


Tuesday gave the members of the
cabinet his ideas on the governments
relation to big business, the field
that antitrust legislation should
cover and the spirit with which he
believed the task should be approach
ed.
Peace and not war, a feeling of
friendly Cancellation rather than of
hostile antagonism, and yet a con-
structive program that will eliminate
uncertainty about the law and stimu-
late the growth of legitimate business
these are the fundamentals of the
presidents plan of action, to be en-
bodied in the message which he will
read at the joint session of congress
next week. He presented the docu-
ment to the cabinet The members
of the cabinet spoke of the message
as a progressive declaration that
would reassure the business world of
the sincere intentions of the admin
istration to deal fairly with it.
Committees Hear Message.
Wednesday the president will out
line the message to the democratic
members of the senate committee on
interstate commerce and the house
judiciary committee at White House
conferences. While the president has
not revealed his views on detailed Leg
islation, he hopes that his message
will be the guiding influence that
will keep the scope of activity within
a well defined compass, eliminating
so far as possible any congestion of
radical bills that might be misintr-
preted by the outside world SO far
as is known the cardinal features of
the presidents plan are:
/. Supplementing the Sherman
antitrust law to reduce the debatable
area around it.
2. The prohibition of interlocking
directorates.
3. Location of individual response
bility and the fixing of personal guilt
for all vioations.
4. The creation of an interstate
trade commission to perform the
functions not only of a bureau of in
vestigations whether DEGREES of dis
solution or mandates of the court are
carried out.
Big Business Expects Changes.
| The president is proceeding on the
theory that legislation is necessary at
| this time and that there should be
no delay in accomplishing these re-
| forms on which public sentiment is
agreed. The recent action of j. p.
Morgan & Co., in voluntarily with
drawing from numerous directories
because of "a change in public sent
iment" is cited by the administration
supporters as evidence that the bus
mess world expects interlocking di-
rectorates to be dissolved In this
connection, Mr. Wilson believes the
whole course of public opinion has
undergone a remarkable change in
the last few years.
From a point where doubt as to the
existence of trusts was at first ex-
reasonable and unreasonable combi-
nations in restraint of trade were de-
bated, he believes there has now de-
veloped an acceptance of the prin-
ciple that private monoplies are in
defensible and that trusts practice
certain things which ought to be pun
ished. He is expected to recommend
in his message that the law with re-
| spect to personal guilt should be Wig
orously enforced and provision made
| In all legislation for individual Of
| lenses.
Without ReguIatiye Power.
One of the important features of the
antitrust program is the interstate
trade commission This organization
differs from the kind of commission
advocated by the national Progressive
party the last campaign in that it
would not be vested with powers of
regulation, but would be the medium
through which the government would
keep the business world informed and
eliminate "the twilight zone" in big
| industry.
There have been repeated requests
for information from business con-
Germs and the need Of an authoritative
reservoir of information has been
demonstrated in the present admins
tration S experience with the trust
question. 1t is contemplated to place
the commissioner of corporations at
the head of the interstate trade COM
mission, but to include in it's men,
| bership business men who would
| know business methods sufficiently to
conduct the necessary inquiries and
furnish the required information.
No Slowing Up Now.
/ With the presidents discussion of
the whole subject at the cabinet meet
ing, the talk of slowing up on the
administration program and postpon-
ing trust legislation until the Deem
Der session of congress apparently
disappeared in executive quarters.
Administration supporters in the
house and senate will endeavor to
rapid completion so as to cut short
the period of doubt as to what adj
justments may be in prospect for the
business of the cOuntry-Statesman