Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-03
HA|G BREAKS QUEANT LINE
DEFENSE BEYOND E4LNDENBU URIC LINE CUT
Grave Charges Are Preferred
Against Trode Commission by
Chamber of Commerce of U.S..

complaints against them, but the "prc
cedure has now been changed that the
commission itself has become an in
strumentality for unfairness." Charges
of unfairness, often initiated by jeal-
Gus competitor the report declares, are
preferred by the commission and made
public without giving the accused firm
advance notice of the charges, or suf-
| f1ciently definite information on the
answer, while by filing about 100 formal
! complaints and disposing of only about
thirty, giving full publicity to the orig
inal compliments with meager income
oe dismissals, the commission has
caused great injustice, injury and con-
fusion.
In criticism of methods adopted dur
ing the recent investigation of the pack
ing industry the report says a special
counsel (Francis J. HeneyJ was en-
ployed at $4,000 a year and expenses
although it had. been stated to COM
mittee of congress that the salary
would be at the rate of $4,000"
In this inquiry the commission "se.
lected documents already in its possess
sion and had them presented to it at
public sessions by its special counsel,
saws the report, refusing to permit
concerns that were mentioned in the
produce other documents. 1t held public
sessions at Boston, Philadelphia, St
PauI and other cities, examined wit
,,esses of it's own choosing and pre-
vented cross-examination by the con
Germs at which it was made clear the
nroceedincs were directed. AT each city
the speciai counsel or other members
Of the staff let, it be known tnat lne
government contemplated taking over
ana oneratinxstAa industry. This strange
snectaclo ended in Chicago FEBRUARY
1a1s when application was mace on
hefaJf of the commission for search
warrant under a section or the espIon-
are act and the circuit court or appears
ouashed the warrant
THE result of the commission
course was not to give information TO
the public, but to place the co lhIh-a
SION in the position of seeking 10 create
prejudice which would support appot
entity conceived purpose to inauguraIe
o.n',or,r,,an+ oneration of the business.
Report in Pronteer4ng
poferr,nr to the commissions recent
,enort TO congress on Drofiteering the
report says: -. acc
nThe commission again showed lts
lack of responsibility by giving such
form and content to a report aS
to make general charges OF a calunl-
mons nature against business enter
nrises without supporting its charges
With adequate facts The commission
cnuohed it's statements in sensauohaI
terms unwarranted by the facts set out.
For example, it spoke OF oare-laceu
fraud 'monopolistic control, manlpu
lation of the markets by Illegal devices
and 'preying with shameful aVarlIe upO"
consumers.
1T even resort ted to hcar-say IN reclC-
;nr IL understood that production or
airplane spruce in the northwest Ii"N
talran ADVANTAGE of allied governments
intrinsic faults ir this report are
avan more serious. The commission
cri+;cised the principle CT fixed prices
which every othe;r agency OF the CIV
er,SDert has approved as Il means OF
A. once regulating the market ana Cd
tanning the increased production the ma
80 rao,,tras 1t finds the profits
of n-oducers of southern pine unusually
and unnecessarily large. Yet the price
6xinp committee Of the government
having before it the commissions own
figures of &C SITS, has recently increased
the price for southern pine to the gov
eminent by approximately 10 per cent
The report comedies that lnol'4ou''A
profiteers exist and should De proseGu'
ed vigorously but adds
"The existence of individual error and
crime is no reason for condemnation OF
the whole community or any part OF IT,
nv broad accusation and innuendo.
Members of the federal trade commls-
sion are william B. Colver, chairman
Tobn p Fort and Victor Murdoch
Joseph E. Davies and William j. Har-
ris recently resigned membership TO
seek senatorial nominations in WlScoA-
sin and Georgia, respectively, and Fran
els 7. Reney, special counsel during the
hackers inquiry, was a candidate Tor
the democratic nomination for COVER
nor of California
BESIDES Mr.. Butler, the chairman,
members of the federal trade commits
sion Of the chamber Of commerce are:
william J. Dean, st. Paul, member OF
a hardware firm; Alfred B. Koch. Tole-
do. department store proprietor; W. Il.
Saunders. New York, president of ma
,hinery manufacturing company; Henry
r. Seager, professor of economics at
Columbia university. Alexander w.
Smith, Atlanta, lawyer; DR.. /. C. White
West Virginia, state geologist Silas p
Adams Portland, Me, and William {.
Coffin. Pittsburg, consulting engineer.