Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-19

to solve Itself This Is doubted Under
the old system OF free competition,
prices were regulated BY the
law, but when there IS only one
source of supply, the price can
be fixed by those who con-
troll this, and they can receive a rec
ompense FAR beyond that TO which they
are entitled. Economic freedom and in
dependence cannot exist II monopolIes
are allowed to carry on their operations
and tax the public at their pleasure.
For this reason It Is necessary for
the government to intervene, either for
the suppression Of monopoly or for It's
regulation. This fact is becoming more
and more apparent All so-called nat
ural monopolles, railways, telegraph,
etc. are now subject to more or less
direct government control, and the
principle should be applied to trusts.
Whenever the public loses the protec-
ton which free competition affords.
the state has a duty and right to in
terfere.
But what can the State do to control
trusts in the interest OF the public? At
present the policy is to place the super
vision Of such industries as the State
deems proper to keep an eye on, in the
hands OF officials, or commissioners, APP
pointed for that purpose. There are
railway commissioners, gas commits
sioners, insurance departments, nations
al supervision Of banks, and 50 on.
Something similar might be done in
regard TO the trusts The Engineering
Magazine holds that the time has come,
when the State must control some Of
these great monopolles. but not from
the outside through a commission, but
in a more effective way. II Il argued
that the State must be represented on
the board Of directors OF some Of the
corporations that have secured the vast
powers they now WELD
This. then, Is the proposed remedy.
Its legality is not doubted, and II Is
even pointed out that fiuaneiers promi-
nent in the administration Of some Of
the largest trusts have given public
approval 70 this plan. and expressed
willingness to accept national control In
such form.
The query will at once be raised,
whether the public interests would be
any safer in the hands Of the directors
Of the large combinations. by placing
among them a state, or municipal rep
resentatve, whose personal interests
might be presumed TO become at once
Identical with those OF the directors
This objection is met by the seld-
evident proposition that the public must
trust somebody, but whether this will
silence doubts as to the acceptablllty
Of the suggested plan IS an open ques-
ton. The demand by a great many Of
the antitrust agitators Is for full mu-
niclpal ownership and control Of all
public utilities, and they win be salts
fed with nothing less. The question Is
not Of a palliative for what is felt to be
a public evil, but radical cure.
In this connection the following fore
cast for the next century Is OF some
interest. We copy 1t from an exchange:
THE elght-hour day Will b. e.
tablished In every city and hamlet ln
the United States, beginning with each
State making O law that all its employees
shall work for only that number Of
hours every day. A President Will be
elected by The labor party within the
first quarter Of the new century. All
public utlllties--telegraph telephones,
and eXpressages. railways, etc.-will be
owned and operated by either the city,
States, on federal governments. There
viii come about a much higher order Of
Christianity among working people. The'I
people viii feel when there are no
monopolies 20 muzzle the pulpit that
they can believe and respect the SER
mons Of the clergy, resulting in much
more church-going on the part OF the
working people, and thus more interest
IN Christianity
Forecasts Of this kind may not always
come true to the letter, but they GER
talnly indicate the drift OF the currents
of public thought, as clearly as the
swaylng straws show the direction Of