The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-06

| gnariue to the extension or our colh . .. nercial trade and Che strengthening o
 our ,,owr upon the sea invites tn = immediate action of the Congress. Ou 8 national development will be one-sld 4 ed and unsatisfactory So long as tn'
 remarkable growth of our inland in . dustrles remains unaceompanied bS t progress on the seas There is no lacl ,, of constitutional authority for leglsla . ton which shall give to the country e maritime strength commensurate Witf = it's industrial achievements and with
 it's rank among the nations of tn 3 earth.
 - The past year has recorded eXceptlou'
 al activity in our shlpyards, and tilt e promises of continual prosperity 1T ship building are abundant. Advanced
 Legislation for the protection of out
 seamen has been enacted, Our coast trade, under regulations wisely framed at the beginning of the government and
 since, shows results Cor the past fiscal l year unequalled in our records of those
 of any other power We shall fail tc
 realize our opportunities, however, if We complacently regard only matters at home and blind ourselves to the neces-
 sity of securing our share in the valu-
 able carrying trade of the world.
 Last year American vessels trans
 ported smaller share of our exports
 and imports than during any former
 year in all our history, and the meas
 ure of our dependence upon foreign
 shipping was painfully manifested to
 our people Without any choice Of
 our own, but from necessity, the de-
 partments of the government charged
 with military and naval operation in
 the east and west Indies had to obtain
 from foreign flags merchant vessels es-
 sential for those operations.
 The other great nations have not he's
 itated to adopt the required means to ! develop their shipping as a factor in
 national defense and as one of the dur
 est and speedlest means of obtaining
 for their producers a share in foreign
 markets. 1<lke vigilance and effort on
 our part can not fail to improve our sit
 uation, which Is regarded with hunili-
 ation at home and with surprise | abroad. Even the seeming sacrifices. which at the beginning may be involv- ed, Wlll be offset later by more than
 equivalent gains.
 The expense is as nothing compared
 to the advantage to be achieved. The
 re. establishment of our merchant ma
 rine involves in a large measure our
 continued industrial progress and the extension of our commercial triumphs. am satisfied the jdgment of the cohr
 try favors the policy of aid to our iner
 chant marine, which will broaden our commerce and markets, and upbulld our sea-carrying capacity for the pro- ducts of agriculture and manufacture, which, with the increase of our navy, mean more work and wages to ourst countrymen, as well as safeguard to American interests in every part of the world.
 Combinations of capital organized h. to trusts to control the conditions of trade among our citizens, to stif1e com petition, limit production, and deter mine the prices of products used and ! consumed by the people, are justly pro- voking public discussion, and should early claim the attention of the con- f gress.
 The industrial commission, created by the act of the congress of June 1S 1898, has been engaged in extended hearings upon the disputed questions involved in the subject of combinations in restraint of trade and competition They have not yet completed their Investigations of this subject and the conclusions and recommendations at which they may arrive are underlined. The subject is one giving rise to many divergent views as to the nature and variety or cause and extent of the Injuries to the public which may result from large combina- tions concentrating more or less num- erous enterprises and establishmets, which previously to the formation of the combination were carried on sepa- rately.
 It is universally conceded that com blnations which engross or control the market of any particular kind of mer- chandise or commodity necessary to the general community, by suppressing natural and ordinary competition, prices are unduly enhanced to the general consumer, are obnoxious not only to the common law but also 70 the public welfare. There must be remedy for the evils involved in such If the present law can be extended more certainly to control or check these monopolies or trusts it should be done without delay What ever power the congress possesses over this most important subject should be , ascertained and asserted. President Harrison in his annual mes- { age of December 3, 1889, says: :, Earnest attention should be given f y Congress to a consideration of the question how far the restraint oc those q omblnations of capital commonly q alled trusts Is a matter of federal f When organized, as they f ften are, to crrlsh out all healthy com r etition and to monopollze the produc d lon or sale of an article of commerce e nd general necessity they are danger n us conspraeies against the public fl ooa, and should be made the subject of fohloltory and even penal legislation t An act to protect trade and com g nerce against unlawful restraints and t honopolies was passed by Congress on t. ne "a of July, 1890. The provisions of II HIS statute are comprehensive and It declares every contract p r combination, In the form of a trust s'