Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-20
MEASURE
IS DEFEATED
Would Have Had Congress
Probe Legal Rights of Trade
Associations
BY GEORGE n. MANNING
Washington Correspondent OF the
Perth Amboy Evening NeMsl

WASHINGTON. April 20--A
Democratic hlibuster. aided by
strong Republican support. brought
about the defeat in the senate yes
terday OF the Edge resolution pro-
viding for creation of a special con-
gress committee to investigate and
report steps necessary TO define .he
legal rights of trade associations.
which have recently become rather
CONFUSED Lecause OF decisions rem
dered by the supreme court of the
United States in cases affecting the
rights OF trade associations under
the Sherman antitrust law.
The ilibuster also blocked the
efforts OF Senator Walter ). Edge of
New Jersey to have the senate vote
next Monday on passage of a bill in
troduced ty him at the same time
to have the Federal Trade Commits
sion define the rights of trade asso-
Citations.
The Democratic senators leading
the opposition to Senator Edges two
measures charged that it was a care
fully planned movement to lower the
bars so that big business in the
guise of trade associations could
evade the restrictions imposed on
lHulNluudl COiPOi dliOilS ny lit Sht
mar law.
Senator Edge introduced his reso-
luton creating a special congress
committee &c investigate and report
and his bill directing the federal
trade con. mission to report about
ten days ego. He brought the reso-
luton up IN the senate last Thurs
day and discussed it at length but
failed I o secure its adoption. He
succeeded Monday in having ii
made the unfinished bu5iness and
kept ii before the senate all that
day and the succeeding day.
Shortly after Senator Edge
brought the matter before the senate
again yesterday 1t was displaced az
the unfinished business by a vote OF
SO to IS to make way for an incense
quential bill providing for some SOFT
of a survey of the Potomac river.
With his resolution to create the
special committee safely shelved
| Senator Edge tried to effect an
| agreement to have his bill providing
for an investigation and report by
| the federal trade commission voted
on next Monday. Senator Overman,
of North Carolina. ranking Demo-
| crat on the judiciary committee. as
| serted the bill had not been properly
| reported out by his committee. II
had never been properly placed be-
| fore the committee either. he assert
| ed. When Senator Edge declared
| the committee had been polled and
| had voted for the bill Senator Over
man asserted that the members had
signed their names without knowing
what the measure was all about. He
objected to unanimous consent being
| given for the bill to be voted on next
Monday, and it was shelved along
with the resolution.
In urging adoption of his resolu-
tion Senator Edge said 1T was oni,
| an effort to find a method to assis'
| or at least to relieve the present dis
| tressed condition of business. TIL
object of the inquiry by congress
was, he said. to endeavor to find
| way and then through legislation <
| make it easier for industrial organ
izations to keep within the law.
The chief attack against the Edg'
| measures was directed by Senators
| King of Utah. Stanley of Kentucky
Hitchcock of Nebraska. Overmau
North Carolina. Democrats; Cum
minis of Iowa, Norris of Nebraska
Nelson of Minnesota. Republicans.
otlldtOI hlib VI tdii daRbto ~ {
scheme by big business oncer L
| evade the Sherman antitrust laws.
Senator Norris. Republican, sai(
II would be extremely difficult TO
congress so define the steps corpora
tions could take without violatin,
the Sherman law because the su
preme court frequently divides fiv'
and four by reason of the fact tha
various corporations, organization
and corporations are seeing how ia
they can go and still escape the pen
alties of the law in the way of form
ing monopolies.
Senator Nelson, Republican. chair
man of the judiciary committee. ais
opposed the resolution. stating tina
it seemed to him that these smart
educated and intelligent bushes
men ought in their inner conscious
ness to be able to determine TO
themselves whether they violate tn
ethics or the principle of the Sher
man law
The lawyers in the senate. sever
of them very able. seemed TO holt
unanimously that there was no nee
for the steps provided in either tn
Edge resolution or bill if the trad
associations would closely follow tn
decisions rendered by the suprem
court of the United States in passint
upon the rights of corporations un
der the Sherman law.
1.-The trouble is that away back o
all this the consciences of these bi,
business enterprises have becom
calloused. and they need religion
instruction rather than legislation L
guide them in the path of honor ant
rectitude." said Senator Nelson
Minnesota. Republican, chairman o
the judiciary committee.