The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-31
TO INVITE TESTIMONY
ON ANTITRUST BILLS
House Committees May Ask Bust
ness Men to Discuss Meas
ures at Hearings.
WILSON FAvORS PLAN
President Wants Projected Laws
10 BE Submitted to Pub
lie Opinion Test.

wAsuiNGroN, Jan. 30.--As a result of
ne seeming Indifference OF business in
tsrests TO the pending antitrust bills 1t
N probabl that the House Committees
an the Judiciary and Interstate Com
merce. which have these measures under
consideration. will invite prominent bust
ness men to give testimony on the Admin
istration proposals. Up to date only
three men outside of official fife have
responded to the informal blanket invita-
ton extended by the committees through
the press 10 all who are interested.
The Democratic leaders fear to present
the antitrust programme to Congress
without adequate hearings and present
Indications are that letters soon will be
ssnt to many prominent men formally
inviting them to present their views OH
the legislation proposed at public hear
,nss before the House committees.
It was apparent to-day that Pres-
dent Wilson himself is very DESTROYS OF
obtaining a full expression of the views
Of business men on the proposed legisla-
ton. lie discussed tonight with Sena-
tor Newlands. chairman of the Senate
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce. plans which have been made
for hearings. The President emphasized
the IMPORTANCE when ne attaches 10 the
hearings and reiterated to the Senator
his belief thar every possible faciiity
ought 10 DE aHoraeu 10 inc business men
TO voice the'r op'''o"s III Fesoru u 'he
measures.
II Is understood that the President
would not be avcrse even to action by
:he committees to permit the filing Of
..",n,, ...,,,ors ~ IN. hills nv ,,erson.
- 80 ,.,a,,s ,,no,, ,hsn,
'
Dills Only In Tentative Form.
c..,o >,,,.,as .o,a ar.r tho cor.
e.,snns ,h,, the situation with regard
80 oil ,h. a,,I.trust measures had been
so,e into with som. thoroughnsss and
MA, the President had renewed the as
s,rtion that the Administration regarded
the pending measures as having only
tentative form.
", applled for permission TO appear be-
fore the committees has not by any
means convinced tne tresIuen' wa. nv
such Applications VIII oe i,''ue. Le..e.s
vnlch nave oeel LseeNeu ~ ~, oo.'
u'ui "no''' ..@ tt, 80. -,
~ a.e, ~ ~ h,,s,rsss ,sn v.ner.Iiy.
~ ,,,. ,,,h,.,h mr.. IN IN. made
.. ,,,,,ro,.. th. hill.
rha president has not gone go far as 20
.,sysst - ms, chairmen OF the House and
senate committees tina, they invite bust
,.xs mon 10 app-ar at the hearings. I,
90. ,,oip,.d ON, by an adviser to-day
am, M such procedure had been followed
n the mast. The President will favor any
,tsn however. which NAV be necessary
a subject the measures to a thorough
test Of public opinion.
Ritter complaint was mace AGAINST the
administration and the leaders in Con-
.,ress for the failure to give hearings be.
fore the House Banking Committee on the
rederai Reserve bill This error OF omis-
sion was corrected in part when the bill
went TO the Senate, but much OF the delay
on the measure In the upper house was
,aused by criticisms that the interests
.vected had not had an opportunity to
cfPer testimony when the proposed Law
vas taken I'D in the first instance.
CHARGE Of "LObbying" Feared.
w. ,.,,.. .,,.,,s har, ,h,, ann. ,,,s;.
N,.,n.. =. 49,, a,.','
80. - 49, ~. On Iatrs
So y. - -,
ma! DC ch"rseu VIZ" 'Voosi"s any
suolected 10 some Oh ."e einoarrass'hen''
Washington in the days when the tarin
p''. was pehoihe'
Another reason ascrioed or the iaiiure
o' business men 10 come Forward anc
'estify on their own motion Is that the,
ar" resigned to the Presidents programme
feeling that no changes will be made IL
any Of the bills. This Is mistaken view
~ the situation.
While the House committees doubles.
will adhere in the main to the principles
lad down In the bills. there are man,
questions Of detail of great Importance n
heir effect on business that NAV he mod
fed II good, reasons can he sbown u,h
changes sho,,,d no mada Tba Cnr.ros,
,.ad.-, Soc, H.. ,ha,, ~,m.. .'.
Tho, ,h. h,.ir.ss ,r,.,os. ,a,,'' -,
go, .s "us WI,
IT, ,e'ea'o" '"e "oa'"ss
- s"p' .ss SURPRISE '""' 'uc' 'eques''
mo' oeeh "aoe'
eunss WIN De heid by the tw'
i.ouse committees IN a DAY or so to pass
80 .l'r question as 10 whether or no
.o,'n"1 lhVi'atlons snail DE issued Tor tn
iahce Oh witnesses
.c,suo from members OF Congress ant
.ucia's OF the Administrator. seth Low
l uhlerihyeE ana reiix H. Levy. al
Nv io'k, are the ohiy men VINO haV'
,rVu ior the 10 DISCUSS 'ne ahti-trus
'' oe'ore the rouse comii'ittees'
Trnd~ Comms.sso- MN u...s.
hearings will be held before the Inter
AZ commerce Commission to-day on tn
1rH IA r 1H ~.