The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-01-13
CONGRESS SETTLES
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Coming Antitrust Legislation
Looms Large Before Members.
MIR. WEBB STARTS ACTION.
North Carolina Member Introduces
Bill Putting Teeth in
Sherman Law.

washington, Jan. 12.-Congress
settled down to its long regular ses-
sion today after a recess dating from
the passage OF the currency reform
bill just before Christmas. The COM
ing Administration antitrust legisla-
ton program loomed up as the big
business of the Winter; but with the
prospect of waiting until next week
for the Presidents message both
houses turned actively to other mat
ters.
In the House, return to work was
celebrated of the annual supply mea-
sures, the District of Columbia ap-
preparation bill, and the introduc-
ton of the usual opening day batch
OF miscellaneous measures. The
Senate began debate on the Alaskan
Government railroad Dill.
PEORID OF ACTIVITY.
Antitrust experts in both houses
began period of extraordinary ac-
tivity, to end when the antitrust pro
gram is written into law before the
close OF the session. Actual committee
work will be delayed pending Presi-
dent Wilson'S address. A rough draft
of the address will be brought to
Washington by the President and
later in the week Chairman Clayton
of the House Judiciary Committee,
and Chairman Newlands of the SEN
ate Commerce committee probably
will be called into conference with
the President and Attorney General
McReynolds.
Meantime Chairman Clayton and
Representatives Carlin and Floyd of
the House Committee are reviewing
the long list of antitrust measures
already before the committee. 1t is
not probable that any OF these bills
viii! be accepted as part of the
Administration plan, but all the ideas
embodied in them will be considered
Senator Newlands of the Senate Com
merce Committee expects to take up
the antitrust program Friday.
WEBB INTRODUCES BILL.
! In the House Representative Webb
OF North Carolina introduced his bill
to strengthen the Sherman law by de-
claring illegal every contract, COM
"any part" of trade of commerce,
including agreements oral or written
designed to reach socalled gentle
mems agreements or understandings
His bill would shift to the defenants
the burden of proor as to whether
such combinations, contracts, con-
Spiracies or agreements injure COM
petitors, act as a deJrIment to the
public or whether they are not un-
reasonable.
AS a ranking member of the House
Judiciary COMMITTEES which Will take
up the question tomorrow, Mr.. Webb
purposes to fight for action along the
lines of his bill.
Representative Mccoy of New Jer-
sey. another Democratic member OF
the Judiciary Committee introduced
bis biu to prohibit meterlocking dir
ectorates among banks and trust COM
panies. ,,, ,f tho
committee which conducted the LOBBY
inuuirv last year intrduced Dill 10
rapulate lobbyists. Senator ONermah
eaid the bill represented his lndlNl-
dual views. 1t would require Ihe re-
pistration of all persons appearing
before Congress as Legislative cou1
col" or agents they represented ana
tho legislation in which they were
Concerned. The bill would make IL
crime for any one to attempt oy .oI
rupt methods, to influence LEGISLATORS
poromote or defeat legislation.
No person would be permitted 10
oct &C legislative agent whose COM
nonsation Was in any way dependent
mon the outcome of proposed legls-
lation.