The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1914-06-11
NEWS FROM OUR
NATIONAL CAPITAL
Administration Trust Program
Bills Passed, Are Now Up
to Senate.

terstate trade commission bill was
passed without record vote; the
Clayton omnibus antitrust measure
received 275 votes to 81 against it,
and the vote on the Rayburn railroad
capitalization bill was 352 to II.
The Covington trade commission
bill would create a commission with
broad inquisitorial powers over cor
porations engaged in Interstate COM
merce.
Bureau of Corporations Abolished.
After abolishing the bureau of cor
porations and the positions of COM
missioner and assistant commissioner
of corporations, the bill would turn
over the organization and powers of
the bureau to the new commission. 1t
then provides that all corporations
with capital of not less than $4,000
600, except those now subject to the
interstate commerce commission, shall
submit annual reports, records of its
organization, bondholders and stock
holders and financial condition" to the
commission. The commission may
also designate corporations having a
capitalization of less than 100000
from whom it desires reports. 1t may
call for special reports, in addition
to the regular annual statements re-
quired by the bill, and would provide
a penalty of 500 a day for delay in
filing reports.
Senate May segregate Bills.
The senate interstate commerce
committee voted to report out only
the trade commission measure of the
trust bills. The action was construed
by many as an indication of limita-
ton of the administrations pro-
gramme at the present session of con-
gress.
There was no record vote. In gen
eral discussion some senators opposed
the motion and others declared them
selves opposed to the bill at the pres
ent time Chairman Newlands said
the committee later might take up
supplemental legislation and issued
this statement:
"The committee determined to seq
regate the trade commission from the
supplemental legislation and author
lied me to present an amendment in
the nature of substitute for my orig
inal bill for trade commission. The
committee concluded to name the
trade commission the federal trade
commission, instead of the interstate
trade commission, in order to clearly
distinguish it from the interstate COM
merce commission.
MelIen's Story Of Sacrifice Denied.
Charles s. Mellen's recent testi-
mony that he, as president Of the New
York, New Haven & Hartford rail-
road, allowed himself to be indicted
in the Grand Trunk case to shield the
late j. Pierpont Morgan, was fatty
denied before the interstate commerce
commission by Lewis Cass Ledyard,
of New York, who was director of
the New Haven at the time.
81 want to say in the most unquali-
fled TERMS" Mr.. Ledyard asserted.
"that Mr.. Mellen did not offer himself
as a vicarious sacrifice for Mr.. Nor
gan"
There are indications that the in
quiry into the affairs of the New York,
New Haven & Hartford railroad by
the interstate commerce commission
will be completed this week.
National Capital Brevities.
The house will be engaged this
week with the $1O7. 600. 900 sundry CIV
IL appropriation bill.
President Wilson requests that, for
sentimental reasons, the Lincoln mem
orial highway pass through Washing
ton.
Few senators expect debate on the
trade commission bill to end in less
than two months. At present the pros
poets for adjournment before the mid
die of August, or even later, are not
bright.
President Wilson went through the
evidence on which the indianapolis
dynamiters were convicted. A million
laboring men have petitioned him to
extend executive clemency.
Narratives of the bravery Of enlist
ed men of the navy and marine corps
during the fighting at Vera Cruz on
April Fl and % were included in Rear
Admiral Fletcher's report of the Next
can ports seizure, made public by
the navy department.
Two measures are to be pressed as
quickly as the appropriation bill is
out of the way. They are the Moon
postoffice bill, providing for railway
mail pay readjustments and opening
up the assistant postmasterships
throughout the country to competitive