Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-03
Theodore Roosevelt Discusses the
Question in His Message.
SAYS THEY ARE NOT WHOLLY BAD
Only Injurious When They Con.
stituse Monopoly in Trade.
PUBLICITY THE REMEDY

ALBANY. n. Y. January 3.-The state
legislature convened in annual session to-
day. In the senate Timothy E. Ellsworth
of Niagara county was reelected president
pro tenn, and in the house Frederick Nixon
of Chautauqua county was reelected speak
er. A feature of the senate chamber was
a floral arch over the desk of Lieutenant
Governor Timothy L. Woodruff, showing
the word Excelsior in red, white and blue
letters. After the organization of the two
houses had been competedathe annual mes
sage of Governor Theodore Roosevelt was
read.
View az to Trusts.
In the course Of his message Gov Roose-
vet treats at considerable length the sub
jects of modern industrial conditions and
trusts
The contrast offered IN the highly spe-
cia!ized industrial community between the
very rich and the very poor, says the gov
ernor. is exceedingly distressing. and while
under normal conditions the requirement
of wealth by an individual isIecessarily of
great incidental benefit to ~ community
as whole, yet this is by no means always
the
This problem has a hundred phases. The
relation of the capitalist and the wage
worker makes one; the proper attitude
OF the state toward extreme poverty
dHotHeT tHe proper attitude OF the state
toward the questions of the ownership and
running of so-called public utilities a
third. But among all these phases the one
which at this time has the greatest promi-
nence IS the question Of what are commonly
termed trusts, meaning by the name those
vast combinations of capital. usually flour
ishnS by virtue of some monopolstic eIc-
ment. which have become so startiingly
common a feature in the indust rial rey,I-
luton which has progressed SO rapidly dur
ing the recent years.
Every new feature of this industrial
revolution produces hardship. because in Its
later stages ii has oeen literally revolu-
tlon instead of an evolution. The new in
Ventions and discoveries and the new meth
DDS of taking advantage of business facili-
ties afforded by the extraordinary develop
ment of our material civilization have
caused the changes to proceed with such
marvellous rapidly that a each stage some
BODY OF workers finds itself unable to ac-
commodate itself to the new conditions
with sotlIclent speed to escape hardship
Laws Were Ineffective.
Very many Of the antitrust laws which
have made, their appearance on the statute
books of recent years have been almost, or
absolutely, ineffective, because they have
blinked the al!-important fact that much
Of what they thought to do away with was
incidental to modern industrial conditions
and could not be eliminated unless we were
willing to turn back the wheels of mod
crn progress by also eliminating the forces
which had brought about these Industrial
conditions.
ITO say that the present system Of
hap-hazaId license and lack of supervision
and regulation is the best possible is alb
surd. The men who endeavor to prevent
the remedyiEs of real abuses not only show
callous disregard for the suffering of
others, but also weaken those who are
ANXIOUS to prevent the adoption of indis-
crimtnate would-be remedies which would
subVert our whole industrial fabric
Where to Draw the Line.
Nv here a trust becomes a monopoly the
state has an immediate right to interfere
Care should be taken not to stifle enter
prise or disclose any facts of business
that are essentially private: but the state
for the protection of the public should ex-
erc1se the right to inspect to examine
thoroughly all the workings of great cor
porations just as is now done with banks:
and wherever the interests of the public
demand it it should publish the results Of
Its examination Then, il there are inordi-
nate profits, competition or public senti-
ment will give the public the benefit of
lowered prices; and if not. the power of
taxation remains