The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-04-21
TRUSTS.

zfderation. -.
@To1 ttis -Eeaiteps w hat Shall WE do with
the trusts, 50 called? Public attention
thereto, has been called by the press, and
action therein by the political parties has
been called for. Is there any danger
ahead? Is our form Of government ade-
quate to solve the problem? Let us have
full and free public discussion of the
problem. I believe that congress and the
state legislatures have ample powers to
handle the subject. There are two classes
of corporations against which outcry is
raised-those engaged In interstate COM
MERGE and others engaged in manufactur-
ing. buying and selling merchandise. ~
AS to the first, suggest an act Of con-
gress providing for the appointment by
the president, with the approval Of the
senate, of a commission of license, sub
ject to removal at any time by the presi-
dent, all corporations, by appropriate PEN
alties, to be prohibited from engaging in
Interstate commerce un.sss licensed so to
do by such commission. The application
for such license Is to be In writing, sub
ject to the inspection of the public, stat
ing the name of the petitioner, by what
authority created, its capital, the nature
Of it's business and purposes, copy Of its
charter and what it asks and proposes
70 do. The commission to appoint a.
time and place of hearing and require
petitioner, at his expense, to give specified
notice of such hearing and inviting all
persons to appear and show cause If any
they have, why such license should not be
granted, hearing to be had and license
granted if it appears that the objects pro-
posed are not in restraint Of trade and are
for the public benefit; otherwise to be re-
fused. A license fee to be charged .sufiA
Gent to meet the expenses of such tri-
'Tbunal. Such commission, on its own mo-
ton or upon application of any third per-
son showing a contract or conspiracy by
|, such license in restraint OF trade or COM
meree among the. states of any foreign
cs1si,Ffry, or other good cause, to issue and
serve upon such licensee an order to
show cause why such license should not
be revoked. Make it a criminal offense
on the part Of any agent of such corpo-
ration to carry on such interstate com
merce business without such license or
after its reyecati on . - 1900 Is t.F54g5
AS to the other class of corporations,
trusts not engaged in interstate COM
merce, each state may. by law, prohibit
any foreign corporation DOING business III
such state. Comfy and good faith should
prevail between the states and there
should be a uniformity of law on the
subject.
Could there not be an assembly of able
men,, say one or more from each state,
to prepare such uniform statute, which
many or all the states could be induced
to enact, providing tor the licensing OF all
foreign corporations and the revocation
of such license upon it appearing that the
icensee had entered into any contract
combination or conspiracy in the form OF
trust or otherwise in restraint OF trade
A public discussion of these questions
ir the press will throw light on the sub
| iect, it's dangers and difficulties and OBJ
Jections to proposed remedies, and what
we can do, and I respectfully solicit such
discussion. ~ Levi Henry.