The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-01-15
WILSON CERTAIN To
WANT COMMISSION
TO CURB TRUSTS
Outlines Trust Pro-
gram To Congress
Leaders.
TO DEFINE GUILT
Also Will Insist on Punish
ment of individuals for
Violating Law.

To-Day conferred with congressional
leaders on trust legislation. He talk
ed first with Chairman Newlands and
the democrats Of the Senate inter-
state commerce committee, and later
held a second conference with Chair
man Clayton and the democrats OF
the House judiciary committee. To
the latter committee Wilson had Civ
en- a preliminary outline of his ideas
before congress recesser three weeks
ago. So far as possible it is the inten.
tion of the administration to obtain
from these committees bills upon
which all their members have agreed.
1t is the presidents hope that he mny
be consulted and the bills launched
with the stamp OF the administrations
approved as was the case with the
tariff and the currency.
Business to be Reassured.
An effort will be made to dtstin-
guish for the business world, those
measures which have the backing OF
the president, and those which may
represent individual views of mem
bers of congress. Through the presi-
dents friends in congress it Is hoped
to reduce the personal bills to the
minimum. 1t is said that Wilson's
Forthcoming message satisfies the
trust views of every member of the
cabinet, and that those members in
close touch with the business world
believe that the Industries OF the
country will find mealthful reassur-
ance from it.
Certain of Program.
Members OF the Senate committee
on interstate commerce after two
hour conference with the president.
said that President Wilsan read his
message to them and discussed many
details at length.
Some of the Senators had no doubt
that an interstate trade commission
with limited powers to assist the
courts in carrying out DEGREES of dis
solution, would be created.
All appeared certain, too, that leg
islation prohibiting interlocking dir
estorates would be put through, that
penalties would be imposed in every
case upon individuals and that per-
sonal guilt would be distinctly fixed.
The main point in the discussion
was the extent to which the Sherman
law would be supplemented. The pre-
sident is said to have emphasized the
necessity to remove all doubt as to
exactly what constitutes restraint OF
trade
Conferences Yesterday
Washington, d. C.-President Viii
son yesterday gave the members OF
the cabinet his idea on government in
relation to big business, the field that
|anti-trust legislation should cover
and the spirit with which he believed
that task. should be approached.
Peace and not war, feeling of
sudden conciliation rather than of
hostile antagonism, and yet con-
structiye program will eliminate un-
certainty about the law and stimulate
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. Members of the cabinet
spoke of the message as progressive
speculation that would assure busl-
ness of the sincere intentions of the
administration to deal fairly with it.
Will Consult Leaders.
| Today the president will outline
the message to the democratic mem.
bers of the Senate committee on in
terstate commerce and the House ju-
dietary committee at alWhite House
conference. 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 we'll defined compass, eliminating,
sa far as possible, any congestion OF
radical bills that might be interrupt
ed 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 prohibiting of interlock-
ing directorates. esi.
(3.l Location of indicidual respon-
sibility and the fixing of persons
guilty for all violations.
(4.) The creation of an interstate
trade commission to perform the
function, not only of bureau of In
formation, but to determine by its In
vestigation whether decree of disso-
lutions and mandates of the courts
lor ra cor rriod ont \