The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-02-24
The Cox Anti Trust BILL

W. M. Cox, OF ffentiss, as IL PaSseu lilo
House on 18th inst, by a vote OF lOl to 2.
Mr.. Cox made a great speech in eXplana-
ton and advocacy of the measures:
An act to define trusts and combines,
TO provide for the suppression thereof, and
to preserve to the people OF this State the
benefits arising from competition in bust
ness. :
Section |. Be it enacted by the Le9isla-
,vre of the State of Mississippi, That a
trust and combine is a combination, con
tract, understanding, or agreement, ex-
press or implied, between two or more per-
sons. corporations OF firms, OF associations
of persons, or between one or more OF
either with one or more OF the others: I
(a)-In restraint Of trade;
(b)-To limit, increase or reduce the
price of a commodity;
(c)-To limit, increase, or reduce the
production or output of a commodity;
(d)-Intended to hinder competition in
the production, importation, manufacture,
transportation, sale or purchase OF a COM
modify;
(e)-To engross or ~forestall a commod-
ity;
f)-To issue, own, or hold the certii-
Gates of stock of any trust or combine;
(g)-To place the control, to any ex-
tent, of business or of the products and
earnings thereof, in the power of trustees,
by whatever name called;
(h)--By which any other person than
themselves, their proper officers, agents
and employees shall, or shall have the pow
er to. dictate or control the management
OF business; or
Gl-To unite or pool interests in the
Importation, manufacture, production,
transportation, or price of a commodity;
AND is iniinical to the public welfare,
unlawful and a criminal conspiracy.
Sec. 2. Any corporation, domestic or
foreign, which hall restrain or attempt
to restrain the freedom of trade or pro-
duction; or which shall monopolize or at
tempt to monopolize the production, con-
troll or sale OF any commodity, or the pros.
e%cution, management or control OF any
kind, class or description OF business; or
which shall engross or forestall, or at
tempt to engross or ~forestall any com
modify or which shall destroy OF attempt
to destroy competition in the manufacture
or sale of a commodity, by offering the
same for sale at a price below the regu-
lar market price and also below the nor
nal cost of production; shall be deemed
and held a trust and combine within the
meaning and purpose of this act, shall be
liable to all the pains, penalties, fines,
forfeitures, judgn ents and recoveries
herein denounced against trusts and COM
bines, and shall be proceeded against in
manner and form provided in this act in
case of other trusts and combines.
Sec. 3. Every contract OF agreement to
enter into or pursue any trust and CON-
bine, and every contract or agreement
made by another with any trust and CON-
bine, OIL with any member OF a trust and
combine, for any purpose relative to the
business of such trust and combine, Is
void, and cannot be enforced in any court.
Sec. a. Every corporation which shall be
q trust and combine, or enter into, be con-
cerned in, or share the profit or loss OF any
trust and combine, shall forfeit its charter
and FRANCHISE, and, if a foreign corporation,
shall forfeit its right to do business in this
State. 1t is hereby made the duty of the
Attorney General of this State to en-
force this provision by a proceeding in the
nature of a writ of quo warranto, or any
other appropriate remedy, upon the rela-
ton of any person whose rights are in
vaded OF interests threatened by any trust
or combine. Any person or persons who
shall form, constitute or promote, or at
tempt to form, constitute or promote, any
trust or combine within the meaning OF
this act, as principal, director, manager,
agent, or in any other capacity, shall upon
conviction thereof, in addition to other
penalties herein prescribed, be punished
by a fine of not less than one hundred mol
more than five thousand dollars, or by i'm
p%risonment in the county Jail not less
than three nor more than twelve months
or by both such fine and imprisonment
1t shall be the duty of the several circuit
judges of the State to specially call the
attention of the grand jury of their re
spective districts to this provision.
Sec. 5. No corporation shall directly Of
indirectly purchase or own the capita
stock, or any part thereof, of any othel
corporation, nor directly or indirectly pur
chase or in any manner acquire the fran
chise, plant or equipments of any othel
corporation, if such other corporation b
engaged in the same kind of business an
be a competitor therein. Any corporation
offending against this provision shall for
felt its charter, if a domestic corporation
and, if foreign corporation, shall forfeit it
right to do business in this State, an,
shall be proceeded against by the Attor
ney General in manner and form provide
in Section 4 of this act.
Sec.s6. No corporation, domestic or fol
eign, shall engage in any business not eS
prcssly authorized by its charter, nor fan
ly and reasonably incidental to the busi
ness therein authorized. Any corporatio
offending against this provision shall,
a domestic corporation, forfeit its charter
and, if a foreign corporation, shall forfei
it's right to do business in this State, an
shall be proceeded against by the Attol
ney General in manner and form provide
by Section 4 of this act.
Sec. Z. Any person injured or damage
by a trust and combine, as herein define,
or its effects direct or indirect, may, j
each instance of such injury or damag
recover the sum of five hundred dollar
and all actual damages; and he ma
maintain his action therefor against OF
or more of the parties to the trust an
combine, their attorneys, officers an
agents, and that whether or not all Il
ID na1tIpa ~ Tho @r,xa& orI a1.o1 I