Evening star., 1938-07-02
MONOPOLY PROBE
PLANS MAPPED
0'Mahoney Committee Head.
Initial Steps Taken
for Inquiry.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

w 'S'
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
The new, congressionally-cr created
special committee to investigate the
monopoly problem was engaged today
in laying the ground work for the in
quiry. Six executive agencies Of the
Government were preparing lists Of
data which they believe the commit
tee should have.
Its opening meeting yesterday after
noon passed of harmoniously, with
the election of officers and 4 general
discussion o: FIRST steps"
The committee elected Senator
OMahoney Of Wyoming. chairman;
Representative Summers of Texas,
chairman Of the House Judiciary Com
mittee, vice chairman, and Leon Hen
derson, economist for the Works Prog
ress Administration, executive secre-
tary. Senator King OF Utah nomi-
mated OMahoney for chairman. AS
sistant Attorney General Thurman w.
Arnold nominated Mr.. Summers for
vice chairman and Mr.. Summers nomi-
mated Mr.. Henderson for executive
secretary. Each vote was unanimous.
Mr.. Henderson. who was with the
old N. r. A. and Is an ardent New
Dealer, will be q "co-ordinator" and
besides looking after the INFINITE de-
tail. will adjust the work of the
various executive agencies particpat-
ing in the Investigation. He Is not
member Of the committee, which Is
composed Of six members Of Congress
and the representatives of six execu-
tive agencies Of the Government.
Role Held Essential.
Chairman O'Mahoney said after the
meeting 1t was obvious that the COM
mittee would need 4 man to take
charge Of the detailed work and that
Mr.. Henderson was its selection.
The committee decided that each
OF the Government agencies should
report at q meeting next Thursday at
1880 am. on the scope and type of
information which each agency feels
1t should be called upon to submit
to the committee.
These reports will merely outline
what the agencies have and what they
think they should get in the way of
information for the use of the COM
mittee
1t was further decided by the COM
mittee to assign one legislative mem
Der OF the committee to work with
each Of the representatives of the
executive agencies. so that there might
be the fullest kind Of coordination
and cooperation. In some quarters
it was suggested that the legislative
members would act as q check upon
the activities. perhaps, of the execu-
tive agencies. This purpose, however,
was denied by the chairman.
Month o. So for Spade Work.
Chairman O'Mahoney and other
members Of the committee said that
1t might take = month or mora for
the various Government agencies to
dig up and present all the data which
they now have In. their files bearing
on The monopoly investitatio They
inttM1ted that pNhiic hearings would
noeaSesbegun until all thb spade work
had been done.
Oil Price Fixing.
Anxious to apply an immediate
remedy to what he considers some
current monopolistic evils, Senator
Borah. Republican. has urged pub
licly that charges Of price-fixing in
the oil industry should be = prime
subject Of consideration.
If We can find some way to pre-
vent these oil masnates from sitting
down at table and fixing the price
OF oil We will have accomplished a
good DEAL the Senator said.
Opposition to any plan for assign.
ing broad discretionary powers to sub
committees of agents of the full COM
mittee was expressed by Senator King,
who declared his belief that any sub
poenas issued or testimony taken
should center in Washington before
the full committee.
The committee next week ia likely
to give some indication Of the SCOPE
OF the inquiry when 1t passes upon the
proposals Of the various governmental
agencies regarding the kind of data
which Is to be obtained.
Some OF the Legislative members of
the committee made It quite clear to-
day that they believe the inquiry
should be confined to the purpose of
framing. eventually. new legislation to
meet the monopoly problem, and that
1t should not be turned into q fishing
expedition to bolster New Deal cam
paigns.
May Cover Broad Range.
Legislation, however. may cover 4
wide field; for example, amendments
to the antitrust laws, amendments
to the laws creating the Securities
and Exchange Commission. and the
Federal Trade Commission. Senators
Borah and O'Mahoney are sponsors
OF q bill already introduced which
would provide for Federal licensing
Of all corporations engaged in inter-
state commerce.
Eventually, it was said. the COM
mittee will build up investisative ma
chinery of its own. This will be in
addition to the use Of the Federal
agencies now existing to obtain data
required
The members of the committee are:
Senator O'Mahoney, chairman: Rep
resentative Summers, vice chairman;
Senators King of Utah and Borah of
Idaho. Representatives Eicher Of Iowa
and Reece of Tennessee, William O.
Douglas, chairman Of the Securities
and Exchange Commission; Herman
Oliphant, general counsel Of the Treas
ury Department; Garland 8. Fergu-
son, chairman Of the Federal Trade