The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1899-09-22
TRUST CONFERENCE
Results Of the Recent Discus.
sion Beneficial.
ALL OBJECTS WERE ATTAINED
Proceedings to lie Printed and Fifty
Thousand Copies to Be Distributed
Throughout the Country.

Herald says: Save for the work OF
publishing the report Of the trust con-
ference the Civic Federation's work in
the big meeting is fully accomplished.
franklin II. Head, it's president, is
confident that the results OF the dis
cussion will be far-reaching and bene-
ficent and he feels that this Organiza-
tion was justified in its expenditure Of
labor and time Fifty thousand copies
of the report are to be printed and dis
trbuted throughout the country so that
those who did not attend the conven-
tion may have the advantage of the
views expressed by leading economists,
lawyers, politicians and thinkers from
different sections of the United States.
This Mr.. Head deems highly impol
tant. Among the reflections OF Mr..
Head on the conference generally are
the following statements:
The idea of the Civic Federation
was to have full discussion of all
sides Of the general question of trusts
and trade combinations. 1t is a sub.
jeot upon which there is endless con-
fusion of thought among the people and
we hoped by giving all sides fair
hearing to clear away much of the fog
and mist and to bring the people nearer
together so that they might be sure Of
the evils of these large combinations il
there we're any and devise remedies for
such evils.
In almost every respect think the
conference has been decided success.
Many Of the papers offered were from
careful economic students and pos
sessed not only great but permanent
value. Among these might be men
toned the papers contributed by
Henry @. Adams, j. w. jerks, John
Graham Brooks and Professor Clark, Of
Columbia university. Undoubtedly
the two speeches which attracted most
attention were those delivered by W.
Bourke Cochran and w. j. Bryan.
"As result of the discussions it
seemed to me that the general impress
sion of those present was that the
growth OF trusts and combinations
should be jealously watched and guard
ed and that there should be careful
supervision OF their operations by the
state authorities and also possibly by
the federal government-super
somewhat similar to that of our ma
tional banks would be most desirable
and poItant--and that all such cor
porations should be required to have
carefully kept books of account, show
ing all the general operations in their
business, and that the features of such
statistics should be made public some-
thing after the maner in which the sta
tistcs OF national banks are made pub
lie. The objects sought through these
suggestions were not only for the bene-
fit OF the general public who might be
considering an investment. but also for
the benefit of the stockholders, who
might thus learn if the managers were
loyal to the interests OF the stockhold-
ers
There has been some talk of there
being political capital in the result of
the conference. do not know that
the result of the conference could be
construed to have any political bearing.
The question of business trusts and
corporations is not political question.
There are probably just as many Demo-
cratic stockholders in these various
combinations as Republicans. They
have entered into these combinations
with the belief that they are advan-
tageous in the way Of cheapening pro-
duotiOn and doing away with the excess
sive competition, which in periods Of
depression is often times fatal to all
parties to the competition.
Whatever may be the steps taken
to adopt some remedies or restrictive
measures which shall retain whatever
there may be Of benefit in the trusts,
while removing that which is pTeju-
dicial to the national good, in my opin-
ion the conference held in Chicago will
prove historical meeting. and its in
fiuence as a source of education, and
perhaps as stTarting point OF some
definite Developments. will be felt for
long time. The Civic Federation
is satisied-yes, gratified-with the
entire work OF The conference"