The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-12-29
LAW TO GOVERN
TRADE COMBINES
President Of Antitrust
Leaguers Opposes
New Legislation.
Criticizes Recommendations
Made by President in
His Message.

TERRY, Tex, Dec. 2S.-M. L. Lock-
wood of Zelienople, Pa, president of the
American Antitrust League, has given
out a statement in which he criticizes at
length the recommendations made by
President Roosevelt for a national law TO
govern trade combinations. Lockwood
contends that there is no necessity for
any further legislation on the subject;
that the rigid enforcement of the Sher-
man antitrust law would be sufficient to
efectually suppress and restrain hurtful
trade and industrial combinations. He
then says:
, Does not every one know that these indus
trial combinations have destroyed competition,
the American people of hundreds of millions
OF dollars annually to pay dividends on billions
OF watered stock, and that some Of these div-
oends are As per cent annually for water and
all2 What more publicity does he want?
Lockwood alleges that the foundation
of all the vast fortunes which have been
built up in trade and manufacturing is
railroad rebates and determinations, and
refers to the close of the discussion of
the matter in the message, in which the
President says that Congress can profit
by the experience gained by the passage
Of the interstate law"
Lockwood further says:
In 1878 the Independent oil producers of
Pennsylvania began agitation for the passage
of the interstate commerce law. We had in
Of Texas.
For nearly eight years we circulated petit
through the House in such a form as to cure
the evils Of railway discrimination but it was
crippled by the Cullom amendments in the
Senate, so that twenty-odd years afterward
the chairman of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission testified that railway discrimination
is universal
lockwood alleges that trusts desire
just what is recommended in the message
and that their attorneys advocated it be-
fore the Civic Federation Conference. He
says:
Why is it that these attorneys want to
transfer this question to the seat Of the Ma
tional Government? The answer is that they
want to get just as far away from the people
VINO are being hurt as possible They know
on this question in the Capitol Hobbies and in
the hotel Hobbies Of Washington than it is IN
the States. And would it not be well for
the President who has sworn to enforce the
laws to have his Attorney General start pro-
ceedings in earnest under the provisions of the
sherman antitrust law against these trusts
and monoPolies and against the illegal railway
combines before he asks for any further Fed
eIal Ieglslatlon on the subject? If he will see
that the laws are faithfully enforced against
these trusts that have paTalyzed all capital
except that which is willing to go into The
the land in the TRANSPORTATION of his nrodncfe
ne VIII be surprised to see what a multitude
Of captains Of industry will spring I'D ready
to give the consumers Of America their necessi-
upon the actual capital invested. For 1 say
70 him that these captains of industry upon
whom he relies do not own a monopoly of
business brains, energy and producing force
OF this people. Let him guarantee eouaI rights
and equal opportunities and the American peo-
pie Will take care of the trade of the world
Neither will they ask the people at home to
pay ten times the profits upon their necessi-
tbs at which they are willing to sell the same
goods in foreign countries.
In conclusion Lockwood crfticizes the
recent conference Of labor and capital at
New York and says:
They have created kind of supreme court
ana have made Senator Hanna chief Justice
thereof; they have set up a kind of govern
ment inside Of and independent of the regular
government Of the people