Show SETH lOW Lovi TALKS fOR FEDERATION Hearing on the Proposed Amendments to Sherman AntiTrust Anti Tr st Law OBJECT OF THE MEASURE j COMBINATIONS NECESSARY FOR f EFFECTIVE SERVICE E Washington April 4 for forand forand forand and against t the proposed ed amendments an Qt to the Sherman antitrust law recently introduced by jy Representative R Hepburn on behalf of 01 the National Civic Feder Federation Federation I were lle rd today by a a subcommittee subcommittee of the ih house lio c committee on an th judiciary of which Representative of Maine Is js chairman Seth SethLow SethLow Low of New Ne York headed the delegation del delegation ga gation tion that appeared for tor the measure Chairman Littlefield read a number of telegrams from manufacturing and business firms through the country vigorously ly protesting prot against the tho pro proposed proposed proposed posed amendments and attorneys rep representing representing representing resenting nearly associations of manufacturers and business houses were present in the Interest of ot their clients cHants Seth Low In speaking on the of the National Civic Federa Federation tion tl n in preparing an amended bill said Combinations Necessary Common carriers should be permit permitted ted to combine and to make traffic agreements for tor combinations and traffic traffic fic tic agreements often oten mean meat more effective effective tive tin service of the public What is wanted is effective public supervision and not absolute prohibition of the very thing that may ma secure the best public service It Is singular that a people who have constituted the great greatest greatest greatest est republic In history by the combination combination tion of many states should ever for a moment deny Its own commercial c agencies the opportunity of or giving bet better better better ter service by proceeding along the same caine lines Regulation Reg lation not prohibition prohibition prohibition tion should be our watchword In all such matters mattert There is scarcely a line of commercial business If there be even one in which combination In re restraint restraint restraint of trade Is pot not sometimes de desirable desirable desirable in these days das Jn In the public c interest no less than in the interest of trade for modern modem business Is very ver complex and its problems are often trade problems as distinguished from Investment problems No law can set aside the Universal law la w which leads men in these hese days to combine and to do so precisely in pro proportion proportion proportion portion as they are Intelligent and free Situation Intolerable As a further aggravation to the sit situation situation situation the antitrust law Is a penal one Yet no one is Js able to be sure as asto asto asto to certain agreements s whether they the are arc lawful or not It respectfully submits that this is a situation which is liter literally literally literally ally intolerable Mr Low pointed out that the bill to amend the Sherman act Introduced Introduce by Representative Hepburn would affect only those corporations which would take out national licenses s and thus be bea bea bea a conservative method of testing t sting how howa a law on new lines is likely to work Said he If It become a law it is almost certain certain tain tam to lead to a large measure of 01 pub publicity publicity publicity and that In the opinion of ot many Is likely to he be the cure for most of the evils that have brought about too great legal restraint There is much reason to believe that publicity will make the criticism of corporate undertakings more Intelli Intelligent Intelligent gent and therefore in the main more friendly The National Civic Federation fully understands that there may be honest difference of opinion as to the general scheme of the bill under discussion but while the bill may mo not escape criticism we believe It capable of or vindication Mr Gompers Emphatic Samuel Gompers president of the American Federation of Labor was the principal speaker at the afternoon session and he lie sounded a warning that the he t workingmen of the country would not wait walt much longer for the passage of remedial legislation I Mr Gompers told of the tho advocates of the laboring interests when the senate was considering the original antitrust I Ilaw law asking to have it amended to so provide that the act shall not be con construed construed construed to apply to any an arrangements agreements or combinations between laborers made with the view of or lessen lessening lessening ing lug the number of hours of labor or the increasing of their wages nor tor ter ar agreements or combinations Hons among persons engaged in horti horticulture horticulture culture or agriculture made with a aview aview aview view of enhancing the price of agricultural agricultural agricultural tural or horticultural products This amendment said Mr Gompers was vas at one time agreed to but was nat not in the bill when It passed that body In 1901 1001 Ol he said a hearing was given by the house judiciary commit committee tee on this amendment 1 I believe Mr Ir LIttlefield will remember that hear hearing hearing ing InlO continued Mr Gompers LIttlefield Remembered I r remember it quite well replied Mr 11 Littlefield I wa was one of those who voted against it Nine voted against it rejoined Mr Ir Gompers and ad oum of cit them t eu are ar not n ot now I o s hea foe The Tue e Sh tt law continued q d Wr tr Ir Is not an antitrust law it Is an law It is Isa A law la against asso associated associated elated effort it Is a law something like a law Jaw which about bout ago In made every cery form of association Or r organization which was not n approved by the tha emper emperor or unlawful We favor ta or the enactment of ot laws which shall restrict the Jurisdiction of at courts of or equity to property or prop pro property property erty rights and arid shall so define prop property property property erty rights that nether directly nor indirectly shall there ther i t be any property or property y lg J yn ti the la Ia labor bor of or any a person f l Recent c r i Court Decisions f Mr Ir Gompers reviewed d the recent pUtt pit decisions adverse to organized d dor labor or but said that these th e organizations would not be driven out ot Q the country You may drive tie the th men and women women out of r labor organizations ns into secret e ret organizations he h j said Sald You oU may drive them into int the dark but they are going to organize and nn remain organ organized organIzed organized If not in the tha th way you y u will per permit perIt mit It It by law 10 they th i will organize ora ize in I secret t and neither ukase kase nor noy Injunctions 1 junc are nrc going f to drive them th m oUt of ot this country countr Suppose you yeu force ot Ote them to tb do in secret t time the t perfectly h human activities they have always per performed performed performed formed In the tho open I need not say sa to you ou gentlemen that men in the open where they can express their views thoroughly thor where they can promulgate to the world their thoughts their bust busi business bustness ness will always be more intelligent and circumspect than if 11 they w Were r con considering the same question in hi secret and where they are freed ir d from rom the criticisms of ot the general gen ral public Good of Labor Organizations What hope has tho the workingman n to protect his rights lights and his interest if he in iq modern industry must be an in individual Individual individual I am afraid to give my mind range to the possibilities pt QC such Ch p con can condition of affairs rf I contend for our organizations of ot labor that they are the greatest con conservators conservators conservators of or the public peace Mr Gompers said that since the de decision cislon of the supreme court In the thc Dan Danbury Danbur Danbury bury bur Conn hatters case E workmen In New Orleans have been indicted on the tha th charge charlOe of or conspiracy under the Sherman antitrust law in hl ordering a strike He said that he would give Ive the fullest support to the purposes of the proposed legislation although his organization was adverse to the tile registration of ot labor organizations organizations organizations clause of the bill He did not think these organizations should be re required required required to register in order to get Im Immunity Immunity under und r the act ac but thought they should be placed in the same position they occupied before the Sherman anti antitrust antitrust antitrust trust law was enacted He suggested an amendment to the bill under dis discussion discussion I similar in terms to tho the one the labor organizations tried to ito have in incorporated In the Sherman act when it originally passed congress Work In g me nF Feel eel Aggrieved eved The workingmen of or the country countr he continued feel that they have been outraged that their interests have been Invaded Invade In n the te tt Interests of or the workingman r an and woman O na I 1 make this appeal to you We cannot wait much longer for relief If It I 1 i judge the th tem tern temper temper per of the American workman correct correctly ly 1 and I think I do they the are going to hold to toa a the men menor or r parties wile who tail fail to tc fairly respond to appeal In reply to a question by Mr Little Littlefield field Meld Mr Gompers admitted d that th t the amendment he had proposed would re relieve relieve lieve here organized labor from the opera operation operation operation tion of the decision of or the supreme court in the hatters case Do you as a representative of or organized organized labor JAia the cott asked Mr Littlefi ld I do sir replied a Mr Ir Gompers And your organization contends for that does it not It does sir Fighting for Their Rights Mr Gompers concludes d a his agu argument ment with the statement that the men and women w of af organized labor lab r purpose to fight light for their rights and that he purposes to fight with them themA A B Garretson of Cedar Rapids la Ia president of ot the Order Ordet of ot Railway Con Conductors Conductor Conductors ductor spoke in ia advocacy of or the pro proposed proposed proposed posed legislation as also did Theodore Marburg of Baltimore Bal During the course of or his argument Mr Marburg gave as s the principal causes causes of the re recent recent recent cent financial panic the crazy policy polley of ot the attack upon railroads both by federal and state legislation and tho tha unnecessary and revengeful fine im imposed imposed imposed posed upon the Standard Oil on com company compan company pany pan The committee adjourned until Mon Ion Monday Monday day morning when the opponents of 01 the measure will be heard |