The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-01-10
Majority Members of House
Judiciary Committee Pre-
pare a Measure
BILL AIMS TO AIT
CORPORATIONS
Main Points Covered Are Interlocking
Directorates, Trade Relations and
Prices, Injunction Proceedings and
Damage Suits by Individuals

Prices, Injunction Proceedings and
Damage Suits by Individuals.
WASHINGTON, Jan. l0r-A general
outline Of the tentative draft of anti
trust legislation prepared by majority
members Of the House committee on
the Judiciary for action by the full
committee subject to a conference with
President Wilson became known last
night.
The bills cover these three main
points.
], interlocking directorates.
:. Trade relations and prices
=. injunction proceedings ana dam
ace suits by individuals
In every ease President Wilson :
idea Of providing penalties for indivld-
uais as we'll as for corporations in case
Of violations has been followed.
II WAS decided that it would be
better 70 draft a number Of bills in
! stead - Incorporating all the antitrust
! propositions IN an omnibus measure
| supplementary To the Sherman act. An
! ATTEMPT 70 detiEr combinations and
ronspiraries III restraint Of trade, a
/ far ~ possible, has been made in the
bills already prepared,
The bin to inhibr interloekinu ii
| recteratcS is regarded BY the committee
| members IS the most important Of the
three II deals not only with banks
AMI trust companies. but applies to
every industrial corporation engaged in
Interstate trade.
The effect OF the industrial corpora
tion feature ot the interlocking direc-
tnrate bin, the committeeman say,
would be ct the most sweeping char
acter. cutting out the intcrlccking
arrangements ana enabling the direc-
ltorshlps and control to pass TO a large
army Of new mon, instead Of keeping
the industrial control of various lines
OF activity in the hands of a few.
Under It's term no officer or director
IN any industrial corporation engaged
IN interstate trade would be permitted
TO he any officer or director in another
industrial interstate corporation in al
lcI business.
Bill Would Not Become Effective for
Two Years
Manufacturers OF railroad ears, loco
motives. railroad rails and structural
steel or men engaged III mining or
selling coal would he barred from lac.
coming directors OF other officers or
employees OF railroads engaged in inter
state commerce The bill would rot
become effective uHtil two wears after
Fpassing. ia order TO allow adjustment
ot business arrangements.
Tho other measures would take effect
immediately upon passage.
Tie bin designed To stop agreement
for regulation 81 prices has drastic
! provisions. 1t Is designed etfectually
to stop the liking 10y wholesalers Of
the prices at which the manufactured
article shall be sold to the public and
to prevent big business from en-
> ftcung into contracts 10 control prices
7 of amy commodity.
! 1t has been drawn with 4 view tC
= stopping secret agreements and gen
tIgmen 5 understandings rs far a. can
be done.
; The measure ON iniunctions and
damage suits would give individuals
+, a. well aS the government the right
TO start injunction proceedings for aat
attempt Al injury In any civil pro
J cecdlngS begun under the sherman law
| by the federal government in which {
: Judgment or final or interlocutory de
cree has been entered, holding tbs
defendants guilty of conduct prohibit
: ed Ly the act, it would permit iudivid
uals claiming TO be injured by suel
:, conduct to lie admitted as a party Il
= the suit with the same relief rs if the,
had brought an independent suit. Thi:
would give the individual the bench
OF the results Of proceedings by th'
government.
Members of the judiciary committe,
active III framing these bills believ,
that the measures would strengthen
the Sherman law without injustice t
e the rights Of business.