New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
Business Asks
Reconsideration
OF Anti Law
Large Majority Vote in Favor
of Thorough Survey by
Congress in Chamber of
Commerce Referendum
Ne'U York Tribune
Wdshin0iOu Bureau

~ GShtngtOn bureau
WASHINGTON, April 4.-Recon-
sideration by Congress of all antitrust
legislation is recommended by the Cham
Der of Commerce of the United States
as the result of referendum vote of
the business interests Of the country
represented in trade and commercial
organizations. Complete returns from
the referendum, made public to-day
show that the constituent member
ship of the Chamber voted in favor of
all four proposals advanced by spe-
cial committee which studied the sub
ject.
The proposals and the vote follow:
Congress should be asked immedi-
ately to consider the present situa-
tion of all statutes constituting our
antitrust legislati ion-for, 1,543;
against, 81.
In reconsideration of existing
anti-trust legislation there should
be formulation of standards Of gen
eral business conduct to be admins
tered by supervisory body-for. L.
l59; against, $50.
An enlarged Federal trade COM
mission should be made the super
visory body-for, 1,1O2; against, 437.
In view of the Importance of the
functions of the trade commission
as they would exist, the membership
OF the Federal Trade Commission
should be increased to nine--for,
1,lO4; against, 422.
The committees report and the
result of the vote are significant in
view OF the fact that the subject of
antitrust legislation will be taken
up at the seventh annual meeting of
the chamber, to be held at St. Louis,
April 2S to May /.
The committee drawing up the report
is headed by Rush c. Butler, of Chi
Silas B. Adams, of Portland. Me; Will
lam C. Coffin, of Pittsburgh; William
J. Dean, of st. Paul; Alfred B. Koch. of
Toledo, Ohio; William L. Saunders. of
New York; Henry r. Seager, of New
York; Alexander w. Smith, of Atlanta,
and l. Z. White, of Morgantown, w. Va
Committee Gives Views
In connection with its recommends
tions, the committee pointed out that
there is special occasion for recon
slderation of antitrust legislation in
the period of readjustment following
the war. 1t said:
New and difficult economic problems
VIII arise for the control and solution
OF which existing legislation can
scarcely be adequate. Many of these
VIII be projected into the post-bellum
period from the controls set up with
ofiiclal sanction during the war. Not
al OF these controls have been Off
clally conducted; perhaps most fire.
9uently they have been arranged by
lne industries themselves and given
oihclal approval and official superyi
sion" W
"A brlef review given by the commit.
tee OF the history of antitrust legisla
ton since 1890 shows successive stems
taken to control monopoly and agree.
ment in restraint of trade and leads
the committee to this declaration:
Such brief outline as has beer
presented indicates the immediate need
at time when commerce and indus.
try face new problems, for a restate.
ment OF our antitrust legislation in E
form that will be at once clear anc
comprehensive. At present there is
an accumulation of twenty or more
statutes resulting from about thirt,
years of legislation. Some of the
provisions of these statutes involve
difficulties which cause them to be sell
dom, if ever, invoked. An example is
the section of the Sherman act which
authorizes seizure and condemnation
of goods. Even if it were conceded
that in the course of some 1SO pro
ceedings which have been instituted by
the Department of Justice the inter
probation of the Sherman act has beer
established, later enactments have de
parted from the language of the Sher
man act and the new phrases leav.
great opportunity for perfectly homes
doubt. This is/a time which peculiarl,
necessitates certainty in our nationa
policies affecting economic problems
If it was true, as the President sait
in 1914, that nothing then discouraged
business enterprise like the necessit,
of running the risk of falling under tn,
condemnation of the law before it i
possible to make sure just what tn,
law is, this encouragement operate
with greatly increased effect at tim,
when the special concentration of bust
ness activity for the war is being sue
ceeded "by conditions which contain
more uncertainties than have ever be
/ fore existed"
Evolutionary Legislation
Taking up one by one the question
that are put to vote the committe,
dealing with the first has this to say
'In recent years different enactment
have set up standards, have consti
tuted regulatory bodies to administe
these standards, and in some instance
have af1irmatively granted to thes
bodies power to approve agreements