The Washington herald., 1914-09-24
ANTITRUST BILL
BEFORE CONGRESS
Clayton Measure Reported
Out of Conference Commit
tee with Many Changes.
SENATOR REED LOSES
Amendment of Which Vice President
Marshall Was Author Is
Also Dropped.
SENATOR REED LOSES

The Clayton antitrust bill IL cut of
the conference committee and before
Congress. The conferees from the Sem
ate and the House who have been work
in on the bill for several weeks, trying
to reconcile the differences represented
by ninety-nve separate amendments made
by the Senate to the House bill, came to
q conclusion yesterday afternoon, and
later in the day Senator Culberson sub
mItted the compromise bill in the Senate.
The Chiffon amendment. Of which Vice
President Marshall was the author, and
which declared 4: unla aYful for an or
portation engaged in commerce to do bust
ness in any State contrary to the laws
OF the State under which 1t was incoT-
pUraivd, or contrary to the laws II the
State in which ii might be doing buEIness,
was dropped fIom the bill.
SFnatOr heed's amendment providing
that corporatunh adJudged to be monOp-
olies by dec-Ce Of a court SHOULD be
placed in the hands Of receivers and sod.
was also eliminated from the bill
The conference committee restored the
House bill section In regard to inter
locking bank directors. but Increased
the capital stock Of the banking con-
directing, from S2,50O.00O to 10000.
Two SectiOnG hcAtoreo.
The conferees restored sections and
Of the House bill, but rewrote them
Section . relates to price discrimination.
and section 4 to tying contracts" These
features OF the antitrust bill were
the subjects Of long struggle.
The House bill carried section .. aimed
at price discrimination, with penalties
Of fine and Imprisonment In rewriting
IL the conference rnmnnitfaA omitted
the penalties.
The House bill has carried section 3
which made 1t unlawful for the producer
Of oil or gas or electric power or any
person controlling such products to re-
fuse to sell to a responsible firm or cor
poration. But the Senate struck this
from the bill. and the conference COM
mittee approved this action and the sec
ton was not restored.
Section 4 OF the bill was not a sub
ject for conference. having been agreed
to by both Houses. and simply pro-
vides a civil action for damages to any
person who may have been injured
in his business or property by reason
OF anything forbidden by the bill
The conferees had to make a com
promise also on the language Of the
section dealing with the effect which
a inal Judgment or decree obtained by
the government against an offender
under the law shall have in any civil
action.
The next section Of the bill, which
deals with the exemption of labor
agricultural or horticultural organiza-
tions' from the operation Of the anti
trust laws. remains the same as the
Senate left it.
Court Review section.
h..
view section OF the bill. This section
Confers on the Interstate Commerce
Commission Jurisdiction over common
carriers. gives the Federal Reserve
Board power to deal with banks and
banking associations and commits tN
the Federal Trade Commission all
other offenders against the act.
The right to vacate or modify an order
is reserved to the commission. pending
an appeal TO any Federal court. II the
defendant fails to obey the order OF the
commission. II is authorized to apply to
the Circuit Court OF Appeals for the on
forcement Of its order certifying to the
court the record OF its proceedings and
the testimony.
The decree entered by the Circuit Court
in such a case shall he final. but it may
he reviewed by the Supreme Court upon
a petition for a writ Of Certiorari In
SuCn a pelltlpn lHe tOInInlSSloIl - tiNlNl'N
10 appear and be heard The jurisdiction
Of the Circuit Court Of Appeals is mad"
exclusive. to enforce. set aside. or modify
orders of the commission or any board.
made pursuant 10 this act.
The section of the bill which forbids
carriers from having interlOCk-
ing directors with supply companies. or
from dealing with supply companies in
an amount of more than 5000 in one
y1.NV Nh hFrh N ron m
was rewritten and strength
ened. and the penalty features retained.
The conference committee adopted the
sections passed by the Senate. forhidding
injunctions in labor disputes. and prac-
tiCally legalizing piCketinR.