Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-12-10
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT STANDS
FOR FORCEFUL AMERICANISM
Continued from page 81
Hurtful Trust TENDENCIES.

hat the great corporations known as
rusts are in certain Of their features
md tendencies hurtful to the general
welfare. This springs from no spirit
u envy or uncharitableness, nor lack
Of pride In the great industrial
achievements that have placed this
at the head Of the nations
struggling for commercial supremacy.
Il does not rest upon a lack of intelli.
gent appreciation of the necessity or
changing and changed con-
iitions of trade with new methods,
nor upon ignorance of the fact that
OF capital In the effort
to accomplish great things is neces-
sary when the worlds progress de.
mands that great things be done. II
Is based upon sincere conviction that
and concentration should
be, not prohibited, but supervised.
and. within reasonable limits. control.
led, and in my judgment this convic'
ton Is right.
Publicity First Essential.
The first essential in determining
how to deal with the great Industrial
combinations is knowledge OF the
facts-publicity. In the interest of
the public. the Government should
have the right to inspect and examine
the workings Of the great corporations
engaged in interstate business. Pub
licity Is the only sure remedy which
we can now invoke. What further rem
edies are needed in the way OF gov.
ernmental regulation, or taxation, can
only be determined after publicity
has been obtained, by process OF law
and in the course Of administration.
The firse requisite Is knowledge, full
and complete-knowledge which may
be made public to the world. Arti-
fetal bodies. such as corporations and
Joint stock or other associations. de.
pending upon any statutory law for
their existence or privileges. should
be subject to proper governmental
supervision, and full and accurate In
formation as to their operations
should be made public regularly at
reasonable intervals.
The large corporations. commonly
called trusts, though organized In one
State, always do business In many
States. often doing very little business
In the State where they are incorpor'
ated. There Is utter lack Of uniform
ity In the State laws about them. and
as no State has any exclusive inter
est in, or power over. their acts. II
has In practice proved impossible
to get adequate regulation through
State action. Therefore, in the inter
est of the whole people, the nation
should, without interfering with the
power Of the States In the matter It.
self, also assume power OF supervls
ion and regulation over all corpora
tons doing an interstate business.
This Is especially true when the cor
poration derives portion Of Its wealth
from the existence of some monop0
listic element or tendency In its bust
ness. There would be no hardship
In such supervision; banks are sub
ject to II, and In their case It Is now
accepted as simply a matter Of course
Indeed. 1t is probable that supervision
eminent need not 90 SO far as Is now
the case with the supervision exer
cised over them by so conservative q
State as Massachusetts,. In order to
produce excellent results.
National Trust Law.
I believe that law can be framed
which will enable the National Gov
eminent to exercise control along the
lines above indicated. proflting by the
experience gained through the pas
sage and administration OF the inter
state commerce act. II. however, the
judgment Of the Congress Is that II
lacks the constitutional power to pass
such an act, then q constitutional
amendment should be submitted tc
confer the power.
There should be created a Cabine.
officer. to be known as Secretary OF
Commerce and Industries, as provided
In the bill introduced at the last SEES
sion Of the Congress. II should be his
province to deal with commerce In
Its broadcast sense, including, among
many other things, whatever concerns
labor and all matters affecting the
great business corporations and our
merchant marine.
Chinese Exclusion Necessary.
With the sole exception Of the farm.
Ing interest no one matter Is Of such
vital moment to our whole people as
the welfare Of the wage workers. II
the farmer and the wage worker are
well of 1t Ia absolutely certain that
all others will be well of too. II Ia
therefore matter for hearty con.
graduation that on the whole wages
are higher today in the United States
than ever before In our history, and
far higher than In any other country.
The. standard Of living Is also higher
than ever before. Every effort OF leg
islator and administrator should be
bent to secure the permanency OF this
OF things and its improve.
ment whenever possible. Not only
must our labor be protected by the
tariff, but 1t should also be protected
SO far as 1t is possible from the pres.
ence In this country Of any laborers
brought over by contract, or of those
who, coming freely, yet represent a
standard OF living so depressed that
they can undersell our men in the la.
Dor market and drag them to lower
level. ..
regard II a. necessary, with this
end In view, to re-enact Immediately
the law excluding Chinese Iaborers
and to strengthen II wherever nsoes.
sary In order to make lts enforcement
entirely effective.
American wage workers work with
their heads az we'll as their hands.
Moreover, they take a keen pride In
what they are doins; 60 that, indie.
pendent Of the reward, they wish to
turn out a perfect Job. This 10 the
great secret Of our success In compe-
tltlon with the labor Of foreign eoun.
tries.