Evening star., 1914-01-23
DEMOCRATS HOPE
TO AVOID CAUCUS
Consider Methods of Handling
Proposed Anti Trust
Legislation.
OF BILLS
MAY CAUSE TROUBLE
Two Senate Committees Desire to
Handle Measures-Speedy
Action Desired.

mat there would arise no necessity for
party caucus action on the antitrust leg
islation now before Congress was the
| hope expressed by majority members Of
the Senate interstate commerce commit
tee. who met today to discuss methods o.
procedure in considering the proposed
| legislation
JOINT hearings with the House judiciary
| and interstate commerce committees on
the measures pending and another to bo
| introduced later relating to regulation OF
| railroad securities was discussed as a
Propaoiiity by the senators, the argument
beng advanced that such a method
would greatly expedite the progress of
the bills toward final shape for action in
both branches OF Congress
Desire Early Adjournment.
| The joint hearing proposal deyeloped
| when every senator present agreed that
1t should be the effort of every member
to work toward an early adjournment of
| the session.
Indication OF impending difficulty In the
Senate over Jurisdiction In the matter OF
the trust bills developed when the mem.
bers OF the committee discussed the re-
mittee would ask reference of measures
suppementing the antitrust act
!: certain members of the Judiciary
committee. said Senator Newlands.
| committee. maintain that some of the
bills should go to their committee II
Is our contention. that. while the Sher-
man antitrust law and the interstate
commerce law originally were shaped
by the judiciary committee when tho
! interstate commerce committee was
| created. all legislation relating to in
| terstate commerce has been rel erred TO
this committee as has all legislation
proposed amendatory to the Sherman
act. We shall expect the same course
| to be taken with reference to this pro.
posed legislation"
overman's Position.
| Senator Overman, acting chairman Of
| the judiciary committee, has said that
his committee would seek reference Of
i the bills supplementing the Sherman act,
but make no claim to the trade commis-
sion or railroad securities MEASURE. Con-.
tcernjng this matter sof purity caucus.
a,se ac assasses S.ana. sf snsss saS sy the
4 The measures presented were shaped
4 bys members of the legislative body and
not BY the executive department. They
ures. and full participation of the minor
ity is invited. and it Is to be hoped that
| there will be no necessity for party action
regarding that"
Plans for extensive hearings on bills
| were discussed today by the house judici.
! airy committee. which will meet tomor.
row to map out the plan and to issue
| invitations to all interests affected By the
bills to appear and submit their views
| on the measures. The interstate com.
merce committee. in charge Of the plans
for creating an interstate trade commis
| sion and for giving the interstate COM
| merCe commission SllnaryigOn n t1road
| finances. will meet next week to make
similar plans.
Committee to Frame Bill.
| The bill to accomplish the latter pur-
/ pose will be drawn by the interstate COM
merce committee itself, in close co-opera.
! ton with the officials of the interstate
commerce commission. The interstate
trade commission bill. introduced yester.
day, was referred to the interstate COM
merce committee and will be perfected
1 after hearings.
! The three bills relating to the Sherman
! antitrust law, which are under the juris.
| diction of the judiciary committee, will
not be introduced at present. Chairman
Clayton said today. They will be with
| held to be perfected and altered as the
| subject develops in the hearings. Nume.-
GUS applications for opportunities to bs
; heard We're received by both committees
today. A delegation of Boston business
men applied to the judiciary COMMITTEES
| Ior an opportunity to appear
| Samuel Cntermyer, who conducted ..e
| Pujo money trust Investigation colt
ferred with several members Of Con-
gress in an effort to revive the stock
| exchange regulation bill recommended
! by that committee.
Section May Be Added.
| In the trade relations measure no pro-
vision was made for the prohibition OF
holding companies as suggested in
President Wilson's message, but it was
announced that the committees would
further consider that phase of the trust
regulation program and probably would
add section to the bill. 1t was ex-
| plained that the reason for omittins
| reference to that subject was because
neither the President nor administration
| leaders had determined just how far the
| government should go.
| White House officials declared today
| that President Wilson neither had APP
proved nor disapproved the pending bills
| on trust legislation. 1t was said the bills
| introduced were not to be regarded as
! the last word by the administration or
| the explicit desires of the President 1t
| was pointed out that the measures were
| launched merely as a framework upon
| which the final legislation would be built
and that free criticism by business men
| and the country generally of the merits
of the proposals was not wanted.
4