Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-09

u
Of the board OF regents Of the UNIVERSE
~. the trustees or the Agricultural
and Mechanical college and Prairie View
institute and of the sam Houston Nor
mai school
II would be practically impossible for
the members OF the legislature TO read
these reports, though they are very
interesting, instructive. and valuable.
Your attention Is cordially Invited 70
their scrutiny and inspection, with the
hope that familiarity with them may
produce much enlightenment for tho
benefit OF the people. As suggestion
Of q simple method by which the mem
bers Of the legislature mag become
familiar with and well informed upon
the condition OF thc state goverln mt
Ia all Its details, without the necesslty
" many weeks OF hard reading and
investigation Of the reports. ID would
doubtless be worry profitable to them,
and not Objectionable TO the officers
themselves, for the legislature. by reso-
luton, TO call upon the heads OF the
various departments to deliver ad-
dresses IN the hail OF representatives
In the afternoons and nights during
the first few weeks OF the session. II
| this custom could obtain. IL would be-
come very useful and beneficial in aid
| Of legislation. The experienced head OF
q department could, within half an
hours time, through a public address,
impart more information to the already
well informed senators and representa-
tives than could be acquired otherwise
by tedious investigation and close study
for many days.
Sound economy and good taste dictate
that suitable appropriations should be
made 10 keep the capitol building in
good repair, and to clean up and de-
Gently improve the spacious grounds
surrounding Il.
\ new home for the governor IS also
needed, and should be constructed
without much DELAY. The state is amply
able TO furnish and support public
buildings in keeping with her dignity
and pride and no citizen who pays
taxes can have any reasonable objection
10 IL.
Anti-Trust Law.
From present indications, there Is
but little doubt that strong Efforts Will
be made at the present session Of the
legislature TO repeal, or weaken by
amendment. the Texas antitrust law,
! upon the alleged grounds:
!. That 1t Is void because 1t nowhere
expressly prohibits trusts as defined in
| the net
. That 1t Is unconstitutional for the
reason that the provisions Of the law
W. nv allAg ~ a p Q 4AsAAtAtt 90 - AhAANhF
or live stock while In The hands Of
the producer or raiser.
9. That the law Is obnoxious to sound
! public policy.
Tia validity Of this nel3u'e has te,n
before the supreme court Of this state
on the first and second " hesc poi:.ls
as we'll as upon the pr1p5lHpn that the
/ law did not. In the definition ri trusts,
/ include and prohibit a combination OF
I trtr. s,f e.,
fix and maintain insurance rates and
the commissions OF insurance 2Cents.
After an elaborate discussion OF thu
/ last question. which was the main enc
| In the case, the court decided that in
surance rates and commissions We're
not embraced In the terms NJ the act,
The law, however was not held uncon-
/ stitutlonal. on the contrary, the able
/ discussion OF II, and the courts action
Z in not holding It unconstitutional, lead
/ to fair conclusion that on a final
test the whole act will be sustained.
| Should the legislature choose 20
/ amend this law, beg TO suggest that
/ two points only need settling
] 1. That trusts and conspiracies against
| trade, as defined In section l Of the
act, are expressly prohibited.
2. That when two or more insurance
companies, or their agents or represent
tabllsh uniformity OF Insurance rates,
| or the fees or commissions connected
with or affecting Insurance. they and
each Of them shall be deemed guilty
| Of n conspiracy against trade, and sub
ject to the provisions OF the law. Ad-
ditional to this, should the law be
! amended or re-enaCted Il would be
best to expressly provide that the new
| act shall NOT have the effect to release
or waive any right Of action or defense
Of the state or OF any person, company,
or corporation In relation to any pen
atty, right. or forfeiture which may
have arisen under the old law; but that
they, each and all, shall remain intact.
| II n ia against sound policy to inter-
terc with trusts, then monopoly, In
It's worst form, is a virtue. The con-
tention that this antitrust law Is n
menace TO prosperity and will deter
capital from investing in this state Ia,
logically, TO insist that the way to In
duce the investment OF capital and TO
| promote prosperity, Is to welcome mon
opoly and legalized trusts-to substi-
tute combination to fetter trade for
competition TO give II freedom. Since
the enactment OF this law no state has
| prospered more than Texas. Since then
our people have been vexed very little
with trusts, except from nonresident
sources. They will, In time. become
| clear or the evil entirely n the law
shall continue to be impartially, vlgor-
oUsly enforced. II there are any trusts
now within the state, the officers OF
the law are unable 10 hear OF them.
As to those of other states, We have no
control, except TO use every effort to
have their operations within the state
suppressed,
Two years ago indictments were
found against members OF trust in
another trust have been Indicted. APP
Texas and punished. Since then they
seem 10 have ceased their operations
in the state. Recently the members OF
another state have been indicted. Ap-
plication was made to me by the local
officers FOR these criminals in which
the statement was made that they were
"fugltivcs from Justice" on this official
representation, ] granted acquisitions
to the governors OF the states in which
they were domiciled. on ex-parte state
ments OF the defendants that thev
We're not "fugutives from Justice" these
executives refused to grant warrants
FOR their arrest. On notification TINT
one OF them had gone into another
state, 1 sent rcquisition there for him.
This was honored. hut subsequently,
the warrant was revoked, as stated by
tho governor, for the reason that the
defendant protests that he was never
In Texas and has never done any bust.
ness in that gtata ~ NNNaf tho