The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-10-09
Secretary Shaw on
The Trust Problem

n EFORE AN immense auuience to'
n night Secretary OF the Treasury
- Leslie M Shaw discussed the trust
problem. lie pointed out that the
method originally adopted by which com
peting concerns formed a cooperative
alliance was through the agency of q
| trustee. That is, competitors In certain
| lines, finding their methods mutually un
satisfactory, appointed trustee. to whon
was turned over the product of their sew
cral concerns. BY this means the trustee
was placed in control of the entire out.
put. and could dictate both the volume
thereof and the price therefor. At the
end of tile year profits were divided ac'
cording TO n schedule agreed upon at the
time of the organization. This condition
led TO the enactment of the sherman
| antitrust law, which provided that
Every contract or combination IN the
form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy
| In restraint of trade or commerce among
the several states. or with foreign ma
tions. is hereby declared Illegal" etc.
Every person who shall make any
such contract, or engage in any such
deemed guilty of a misdemennor. etc
Every person who shall monopolize. or
attempt TO monopoliZe, or cDnspire with
any other person OF persons to monopo-
lze any part of the trade or commerce
among the several states, or with foreign
nations shall be deemed guilty OF Il mis-
demeanor,' etc.
Every contract or combination In the
form of trust or otherwise or conspiracy,
IN restraint of trade or commerce" etc,
"Everv person who shall make any
such contract or engage in any such
combination or conspiracy. is deemed
guilty of a msdemeanor."
ANY property owned under any con-
tract or by any combination. or pursuant
to any conspiracy tand being the subject
thereof mentioned in section one of this
act and being in the course OF transpor-
tation from one state to another or to
Il foreign country, shall be forfeited to
the United states, and may be seized
ANY person who shall be injured in
his business or propertv by any other
person or corporation by reason of any
thing forbidden or declared to he unlaw-
"'rhe word person, or persons where
ever used in this act. shall be deemed to
include corporations and associations en-
of any of the territories. or the laws of
any state. or the laws of any foreign
country
e,, . o4.
sherman Law In operation.
This law. Mr.. Shaw said. mt trusts of
the original tyre out of business 1t
rured the antire evil as it thcn ex;sted
with the execution thai it left untouched
the disnosition which has nxisted in tho
human breast for some centuries. TO cs.
cane comnetition Whenever nossible.
inrl h.c lnI tn NJ 1pt n g
for accomplishjnr the same results
The sherman act had not been on the
statute hooks very long when some one
conceived the i,ea that a grnat cnrnorn. .
more than one CONCERN. or nlant or fac
tory. Under this metbnd comneti,n nrs sell
to large corporntions rreated FOR the MIR.
pose usually taking stock in The new or
ganization suftinient to cover the nrice
9greed mnon for tbe miami sold 'rb;s
method continues at the present time.
1t will be readily seen that the present
method is more difIlcult to reach than
the former. Men are permitted TO own
Two fnrms-to onernte ono and to teen
the other idle. They are permitted To
own two cooI minas-tn onnra ta one or
both as they nlense Shall thev nor he
nermittad IN o,rn tv.n ,,.;.t n,iI,.. az two
foundries or y Dozen bricli vords or
woolen mills. and opera,e one or ali as
they nlcase. and If nor where shall the
limit be pIaced?
This sherman oct was nossed Ju,v
1SgO on Mnrch 4 1SO. +be bitberto mi y
noritv marty came into controi' Their
MA tcorn, iecIored snecifn,llv aeains st
trusts, and nromised additionnI Laws for
their remedy. But it is castor 10 dra III
resolutions for noliticaI ronventions than
If is to drart laws for status hooks
That Democratic conEress convened in
speciaI session immcd;ot t.lv ofter The in
at,g,ration of Mr.. cleveland. remained in
session ali summer reconvened, and went
ont of existence bv lansc or Tine. and If
any gentleman present can uont out a
sinple nrovision or law enacted bv III, :
congress-, for the nrotcction of the noople
against trusts. combines and mononolies
not alreadv contained in the sherman
antitrust nc, viii th,nI, him 70 name
the provision That congress- simnlv ra
enacted in n abbrevjated form most of the
important provisions Of The sherman In w
and in very nearly the Identical language
7 am glad to give them credit for that
But the fact remnins that Tho nbJast the
broa dnst- minded tho most consnientioms c
night oil before that Jnhn sherman act
ana arose as from their knees With the
ejaculation: "it cannot be improved"
am not nypressin" The opi'ian fiat If
cannot he imnroved onIv STA te tba +
that was the conclusion rcacheI NV The
Democratic party.
wears ago, more than I 300 men about
couallv divided between The two rren +
nartias have beer elected to cross
and to the Tinted States senate And
noiis and Every - one o"I'm nf ,hsm n h,s - henn @
ambitiois and every one has known tba +
if he could add paragraph. lire, lt sentence. nee
nbrase nv word 10 fbc Sbnrm,n act ~
make II moro drastic nr to ,.endnr ir move
easy or enforcemnnt his nnliticnl for
tunes We're ass,rnd And If is also safe
to say that no one has Tailed 70 ',.iV give s th
nnestion most carerui conei5nra zion
Jnm, nr thn,,, ,da ttni, ,o'nnu,o',;
i canvass IS on that issue, al ana promised 'but
in vary pnnarol terns h, II wanna rl od, ia
~ ,nS sesT,n' n,,a thn ,h,' ,,nh, n ~ 10
If pr tham of si,ber nn,tw hns haer ny, nTIa o ~
1aene tbe " hin" p,nre smncincai,, "'iT NAV ~
Iohn shermnm Sefmed n ma nn ono t''"' ~ .
t nrnnose rer,eT, "or rrnnti,o a" ia's ~,
tbo ~ await, nontoicod ~ ,a M u,''i ~
ioft IKE nnn Of tat nid m sto ms an' a. on
that oraat orntom wbn Inc tsvinn ,a5 ,ba
omnoI;tion fn,oas I, n ,at;on @ ,, io
va" himsof fonr rears in ,,
what hn has said an he tr,st iSs,rn s,nna
lie ,a,i,amat fa ~, nxna " I'll 81, 'T", AZ S'''. @
~, -" t,,t ',,iot - r,,ir T., a., mw o'o oi'
'',r nv, tuH' nupJ'ut VIII, w 'nliSI IeSS,