The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-12-13

because they are created and s~afe-guarded
by our institutions, and 1t Is therefore our
right and our duty TO see that they work
In harmony with these institutions.
The first essential in determining how
to deal with the great industrial comb.
nations Is publicity. The government
workings of great corporations engaged
In interstate business. Publicity is the,
only sure remedy we can now invoke.
What further remedies are needed in the
way of governmental regulation or tax
alton can only be determined after pub
LEFTY has been obtained. by process OF
The first requisite IS knowledge, full and
complete.
Artificial bodies, such as corporations.
depending upon law for existence or priv
ileges, Should be subject to proper govern
mental supervision, and full and accu-
rate formation as to their operations
should be made public regularly at reason
able intervals.
The large corporations, commonly called
trusts, though organized in one state, al
ways do business In many states, often
doing very little business in the state
where they are Incorporated. There Is
utter lack of uniformity in the state laws
about them, and as no state has any eN-
elusive interest in or power over their
acts, 1t has in practice proved impossible
to get @dequate regulation through state
action. Therefore, in the interest of the
whole people. the nation should. without
interfering with the power of the states
IN the matter itself. also assume power of
supervision and regulation over all cor
poratons doing an interstate business.
This is especially true where the corpor-
alton derives Il portion of it's wealth from
the existence of some monopolistic ele-
ment or tendency III its business. There
would be no hardship In such super
vision: banks are subject to it, and in
their case it Is NOW accepted as a SIM
pie matter of course. Indeed. it is prob
able that supervision Of corporations by
the national government need not go SO
far as is now the case with the superVi-
sion exercised over them by so conserva-
tive a state as Massachusetts. In order
to produce excellent results.
For National Regulation.
When the constitution was adopted no
human wisdom could ~foretell the sweep
ing changes which were to take place by
the beginning of the twentieth century.
AT that time 1t was a matter Of course
that the several states we're the proper
authorities to regulate the insignificant
and local corporate bodies. Conditions
are now different and different action Is
called for. I believe that a law can be
framed which will enable tho national
government to exercise control along the
lines above Indicated, protiting by the eX-
perience gained through the passage and
administrators of the interstate m
act. If, however, the judgment of congress
a constitutional amendment should be
submitted to confer the power.
There should be created a cabinet Of
hcer, to be known as secretary OF COM
merce and industries, as provided In the
bill introduced at the last session of the
congress, 1t should be his province to
deal with commerce., including whatever
concerns labor and all matters affecting
the great business corporations and our
merchant marine. .