The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1900-03-08
ANTITRUST LEGISLATION.

The industrial Commission appointed
BY the last Congress To enquire into The
industrial condition of the country. with
especial attention TO trusts aud railroad
combinations. has rendered its prslim-
mary report to Congress, together with
testimony, review OF evidence, charts
showing effects on prices, etc. We
quote below two of It's most important
recommendations:
1T Is recommended that the larger
corporations should be rec uiftd 10 pun
li.h annually properly audited report
showing In reasonable detail their as
sets anu Ii Utilities. with profit or los;
such report aud audit IN be un1er oatn
AMI TO DO subject ~ Government IL
spection.
with regard to the Interstate Com.
merce commission. ID i recumm II et
that it be given authority not only to
prescribe ti4e methods OF keeping ac-
counts of railro IDS and to demand f's.
ports in such detail a. il MY require.
but also 10 INSPECT and auai5 susa ne
counts; that The decisions of the CON-
mission be made operative ut dry
fixed in the decision, and To rem lin -o.
unless reversed by the United States
courts ON appeal; thai the COMM si,n
be- authorized 10 prescribe classliic =
tions of freight articles. and To make
rules and regulations l"r freight lran--
portaiion throughout Lhe UniGedStates.
and that penalties for violations of tile
interstate commerce act should be APP
propriate fines against The carrier, aud
not imprisonment OF officials.
This report is the result of months OF
careful and honest investigation, dur
ing which hundreds of witnesses on
both sides Of the question were heard.
The measures which it recommends to
Congress cannot be said to afford IA final
solution OF the trust problem, but rath-
er, first step toward that solution. 1t
aims first TO deprive the trusts of the
most powerful weapon which they have
used to crush out comprehensive
the discrimination of the railroads,
which grant to the trusts, by u system
of rebates, lower freight rates ON the
same class OF goods than their regular
schedule, which smaller producers are
obliged to pay. Though contrary TO
the interstate commerce. law, the com
mission has been powerless Ia stop this
injustice, because 1t has no power IN
examine the books OF The railroad com
panies and evidence of such sec ct tran
factions is almost impossible TO secure.
With the added powers, however. sug-
gested In the above report, the Inter-
state Commerce commission will not
only have the / ight to inspect the books
of the railroads, but to prescribe hos
they shall be kept, to x the freight
rates and to punish Offending eompan-
les.
With their unfair advantage in tho
matter OF transportation removed. the
trusts will not appear so formidable a.
at present. These giant corporations
have not yet passed from the stage of
experiment. They are. as it were, on
trial before the American people. II
they are to live, it must not be by con-
spiracy, force and corruption. but be-
cause they shall have demonstrated
that they can perform better service
with less cost TO the consumers and bet
ter wages to workingmen, than under
the competitive system. We believe
that eventually they will accomplish
those results, providing they are re-
strained and controlled by proper leeis.
Luton. The question is 50 vitality con-
necied with the commercial life Of the
country that 1t must be approached
with the utmost wisdom and caution.
The greatest difficulty encountered 81
far has been to get reliable information
concei ming lie ploiits ard meihofs of
the trusts. difficulty that will be re-
moved II Congress Iollaws The recon-
mendations Of the Industli-l commits
sion.
The efforts that are being made to
push the trust question into the fore
ground as the leading issue In the com
Ing campaign, We do not believe will
meet with success. 1t Is he work of
demagogues who seek to gain political
preferment by arousing the passions
and fears of the working classes against
their employers. To make an issue,
there must be two sides, and udeing
by the platforms adopted by State con-
sentions OF both parties recently hell.
there is little difference of opinion be
tween the rank and file of both Repub-
iicans and Democrats on this great
question. No party believes in allow
ing the trusts To prey upon he people.
A difference OF method there may he.
but We believe that the sober second
thought OF the country viii be on the
side of conservative action.
nur sscarpat hauf, Covarpor If C,,a -,