Evening star., 1938-07-07
MONOPOLY PROBE
/ WILL PLAN SCOPE
4
;Committee Meets Today to
! Work Out Lines of
Investigation.

Investigating Committee indicated to-
ssday they expected to work out tenta-
rtive program and come to an agree
ament on the scope Of their inquiry at
e meeting starting at 10 am.
8 As first step, the committee in
.rstructed Leon Henderson, its executive
.ssecretary, to make arrangements for
s-ofice space. The committee also de-
scided to appoint an administrative
.assistant. Mr.. Henderson was author
syized to confer with other Government
xagencies to ascertain what they might
l. contribute to the investigation.
= 1t has been indicated that steel,
! rubber, cement and milk distribution
i are among the basic industries now
e being considered for inclusion within
= the scope of the study.
~ The committees tentative agenda
= will be submitted by representatives of
:. six Federal agencies, who held a pre-
8 liminary meeting yesterday in the
y Office of Chairman William Douglas
4 of the Securities and Exchange Com
= mission to discuss industries suggested
i for investigation.
= Douglas Asks Funds.
= Mr.. Douglas went to the White
:. House yesterday to ask the President
4 to allocate part of the 100000 at his
= command to executive agencies so the
+ investigation can get under way He
!, told reporters the S. E. c. will spe-
- cialize on financial aspects of the in
z quiry. including study of security
: markets. capital markets, holding COM
:, panies and the whole problem of
: concentration of wealth."
= 1t also developed that the S. T. c.
y has created new division to be known
7 as 'the monopoly study" to handle
Z. the S. E. c. phase of the inquiry
: Thomas c. Blaisdell an economist
: with the Government since 1888, was
= appointed director.
!. Senator O'Mahoney, Democrat, of
= Wyoming, who is chairman of the
i group, predicted last night that busi-
ness men generally will be pleased by
= the fact-flnding nature of the inquiry.
: However, Senator King, Democrat,
= OF Utah a member, said he had re-
= ceived indications some business men
. feared the investigation might spread
- afield
= Il refuse to believe" he added, that
) the Federal Government will take any
:. steps to hamper legitimate business
:. development
: Wilbur Asks Inquiry.
>. The investigating committee was
requested yesterday by Ray Lyman
:. Wilbur, former Secretary of Interior,
= to study an alleged monopoly in the
i motion picture industry.
= Mr.. Wilbur, now president of the
National Motion Picture Research
Council telegraphed from San Fran
: cisco that the council earnestly petit
!. tions that motion picture industry be
included in investigation Of monopones
to be undertaken by your committee"
s The council is private organization
established to study the effect of the
movies on the public "a.
The committee received second
request for investigation of the mo-
ton picture business from Abraham F.
= Myers chairman Of the Allied States
T Motion Picture Exhibitors, who said
independent theater owners were be-
:. ing driven out Of business.
+ Attendants at Conference.
After yesterdays preliminary meet
g ing OF the six executive agencies, Mr..
]. Douglas said the tone Of the con-
:. versations We had on the inquiry
!. gave it the flavor of a substantial and
z constructive piece of work as dis
!. tinguished from ballyhoo"
II think it will be of service" he
: added. 1T will not be a question of
Z somebody making speeches"
Z Attending yesterdays conference
= were Assistant Attorney General Thur
5 man w. Arnold, Herman Oliphant,
= general counsel of the Treasury; Rear
= Admiral Christian Peoples of the
= Treasury's Procurement Division;
= Isador Lubin, Labor Department statis-
! tician; Chairman Garland Ferguson of
x the Federal Trade Commission; Robert
: Nathan of the Agriculture Department;
Z Jerome Frank of the S. E. c.. and Leon
y Henderson, o-ordinator" Of the Joint
{ investigation.