The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1901-07-25

undoubtedly voiced by Congressman
Taylor. before the Industrial commits
sion. so far as any change of the tariff
is concerned. They want the supper:
of the trusts and will offer for it the re-
tention of the tariff benefits on the plea
of necessary protection of American in
dustries.
The only country that has adopted
the plan of restraining trust increases
Of prices by threatened tariff reduc-
tiOns is Canada. Under the Canadian
law, when the Governor in council has
reason to believe that with regard to
any article Of commerce there exists
any trust, combination. association or
agreement of any kind among manu-
facturers of such article or dealers
therein to unduly enhance the price of
such article or in any other way to un-
duly promote the advantages of the
manufacturers or sale at the expense
of the consumers he is authorized to
commission or empower any judge of
the Supreme Court or EXcheQuer
Court Of Canada or of any superior
court in any province Of Canada to in
quire in a summary way into and re
port to the Governor whether such
trust, combination, association or
agreement exists. The Judge may COM
pei the attendance Of witnesses and
examine them under oath and require
the production of books and papers.
and shall have such other necessary
powers as are conferred upon him by
the Governor for the purpose of such
inquiry. If the Judge reports that such
trust, combination, association or
agreement exists. and if it appears to
the Governor that such disadvantage
to the consumers is facilitated by the
duties or customs imposed on a like
article when imported, the Governor Is
authorized by Parliament to place such
article on the free list or to so reduce
the duty as to give the public the bene-
fit Of reasonable competition in such
article.
In practice. however, this law has
never been applied in Canada, and for
this there are various reasons. One is
that prices are generally lower, as
measured in gold. than when the for
nation of trusts began, and this makes
it difficult to show the effect of trust
regulation in keeping them up. An
other Is the large Importation of foreign
manufactured goods by Canada, and the
relatively small amount of Canadian
manufacture, whereby the imported
goods seem to control the establish
ment of ordinary prices. This is more
especially true on account Of the prefer
entail rates to British manufacturers,
which make the Canadian tariff wall
comparatively low one. Another is that
trust development in Canada has not
gone to any such extent as 1t has in
the United States. In this country such
law would undoubtedly have speedy
application in practice. because there
are many important industries which
are hampered by trust extOrtions. and
the interests back Of them are strong
enough to force the question to a test.
Indianapolis Sentinel.
secretary Cages Blunder.
The more the Russian blunder of
Secretary Gage is looked into the more
ridiculous becomes the position into
which he was led.
For instance, it is claimed that the
application Of the countervailing duty
upon Russian sugar was matter
which might have been taken to the
courts by the objecting shippers. That
is. the Russian government. in order
to obtain its rights. could have ap-
peared as party litigant in court Of
the United States. Such proposition
as this Is nothing short Of driveling.
Governments deal with each other di-
rectly and are not amenable to the
minor courts under the jurisdiction Of
either 1t was the height Of presump-
ton for the sugar trust to demand,
through Secretary Gage. that the Rus
sian government should place itself OH
an equality with it and appear in a
court room. The rights possessed by
the Russian government should be
looked into and admitted by the Amer
lean government without any circumlo-
cution at the bidding Of an Interested
party.
The American government should
have in mind the preservation of our
immense trade with Russia rather than
the promotion Of the business interests
of a single concern. Secretary Cages
contention is one to which no govern
ment in the world would submit, and
our own least Of all. II the Secretary
were half as anxious to promote the
general interest as he is to take care
Of the sugar trust, there would have
been no discussion over our trade reia-
tions with Russia.
One of the settled things in politics