Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-07
ST Aus OF TRADE
Flow 1t is Affected By Trusts and
Combinations.
REPORTS OF The COMMISSION
Preliminary Statements Regarding
the Relations of Labor to Capital
I'm Agriculture, Manufactures,
Mining and Transportation

the Relations of Labor to Capital
I'm Agriculture, Manufactures,
Mining and Transportation
Washington, d. c., June 1.-THE in.
dustrial commission was charged by
congress with the duty of investigat-
ing the conditions of business gener-
ally" said Commissioner Clark; that
is. the relations of labor to capital III
4 agriculture, manufacture, mining,
transportation and general business;
also the subject of immigration. IL
has conducted Investigations on all
these lines and has prepared prelim-
mary reports upon some of them. In
January it sent a report to congress
ON trusts and combinations consisting
OF some thirteen hundred pages, and y
similar volume on the corporation laws
of the several states and the decis-
ions of the courts based upon them.
< These volumes have been in great de-
niaEd, and congress is now consider
ing the suggestion to print a large
number of copies for public distri-
button.
The commission investigated only
n few of the large trusts or combin-
ations, and expects to pursue the sub
jcct further if congress authorizes an
extension of the time in which it may
conclude its work. Among those in
gyestigated were the Standard Oil COM
pany, the American Sugar Refining
company, the American Tinplate
company, the American Steel and Wire
company and it's allied companies, and
the Federal Steel company.
Tt may be said in general way"
said Mr.. Clark, s'that the. commission
4 has found that there are now practic-
ally no trusts in the country. The
\ concerns commonly spoken of as such
have become, thru consultations Of
companies, new companies with cap
5sital sufficient to do the business OF
the several companies out of which
they grew. 1t has been found that in
mo instance d6es company or a
combination m6nopolize production,
altho the Standard Oil Company ard
the American Cinplate company make
a near approach to monopoly. There
are, however, competing companies
and even competing pipe lines, and
should these competitors choose TO
sent prices they could compel the Stan
dard to meet them. 1T appears that
u rnos,S OF them are prosperous and are
1 content, like some of the independent
sugar rehneries, to follow in the wake
Il OF the larger concerns. The same is
true of the Independent tin compan-
les. They are generally enlarging
their works and some new plants are
being erected. 1t appears that altho
they have advanced prices the increas ~.
h has not been SO great as the increased
cost OF their raw materials and labor
combined. The present cost of tim
plate to consumers in this country is
not SO large by nearly $10,0O0,O0O a
year as it was before the enactment
sbt the Mckinley tariff caused that in
dustry to be established in this co,ln-
try.
The question of determinations in
freight rates and railroad accommo-
dations became an important part Of
the investigation OF the trust prob
lem,' continued Col. Clark. "It has
been freely charged that the Stand
ard Oil company gained its ascend
eney largely by means OF favoritism
from railroads, and that question was
gone into thoroly. In their hearings
the commission investigated the sub.
ject of transportation generally, hold
81 ing sessions in the west as we'll as III
H Washingto ton, and obtaining evidence cf
most of the presidents and the traffic
managers of the trunk lines, as well
as OF the members of the interstate
! commerce commission and the man.
ayers OF the joint traffic associations
in the past. 1t appears that before
i the passage of the Interstate commerce
act in 1887 discrimina tions were so
frequent as to be common, and nearly
al shippers, especially regular pat
rons, sought whatever advantage they
could get, and the Standard Oil COM
4 Rany was no exception. By reason of
the largeness Of its business it proba-
bly, obtained greater favors than it's
smaller competitors, but since the in
teTstate commerce act placed pen
& atty upon the granting OF such favors
s BY transportation companies the Stan
ssdard Oil people claim to have neithar
4 asked nor received discriminating
freight rates, and large number Of
railroad officials testified in support Of
+ this claim. The fact, remains, how
ever, and the commission so found.
that determinations do even now lar.
gely exist, that tho they have no evil
dence OF them concerning the Stan
dard Oil company. Some people be-
lieye, however, that if other concerns
obtain such fayors the Standard can
4 hardly submit to be made an
exception. But the commission is
hound by facts and not by supposi-
lions, and, SO far as the evidence
shows, that great company depends
1 upon its vast opportunities for legit-
innate business rather than upon dis
eliminating fayors.
The report on transportation has
Just been sent to congress. About two
& weeks ago the commission sent it's
report on convict labor, in which it
recommended that congress may prop
erly prohibit interstate commerce
J IN convict made goods between such
states as prohibit such commerce by
their own laws. The commission
takes the ground that while convicts
should be kept employed, their EN-
DloyIrent should be So far, as nossihlo