The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-01-14

| session q Joint Resolution was passed
! directing that the Attorney General Of
| the State be "rcquired to forthwith
| institute an investigation to determine
! by what authority The Virginia. Caro-
lima Chemical Company IS doing bust
| ness in this State" and "whcthcr SaiG
company or any person or corporation
J who may be engaged in any business
| within this State has violated or IS
violating the provision of tho laws of
| this State prohibiting trusts and COM
! binations," and directing him to in
| stitutc such proceedings as might be
necessary to punish violators OF said
| laws against trusts and combinations
Proceeding under these Instructions
given him by you, the Attorney Cen
| eral Instituted thorough investigation
to determine whether this company
is entitled to do business in this State
| under these laws OF the State pro
| hlDlting trusts and combinations" \
fall ana elaborate report. showing the
| WORK he has done and his plans, will
be submitted to you. In the beginning
! nc calls attention to tho difficulties he
had to encounter. Tho antitrust avs
nave only recently been enacted in this
| country, and especially in this State,
|
! other hand thcy are as yet "cnbry-
onic and chaotic" in some parts being
too sweeping and in others not cover
ing the entire ground. These combina-
tions are organized secretly, and it is
a most difficult matter to obtain def
mite information in regard to their
formation and the purposes for which
| they are organized, and dcfnite infOr-
| nation must be had in order to begin
an action in the Courts. If an unlaw-
lul combination exist "the proof Of .hc
lactS tending to establish its existence
IS locked up in the records Of the par
ticipating corporations" AS you will
| SEQ from the Attorney Generals re-
| port, difficulties Of this kind are the
| ones that confronted him in his every
! move.
Especial attention is called TO tho
defects in the laws Of this State regu-
| lating corporations. 1t has been the
tendency in this State to give corpora
tons almost unlimited powers, such
as the "Snlmitcd power to deal in
real estate" "thc power to acquire and
transfer shares Of stock in other cor
| porations," "thc power to place under
mortgage or decd Of trust its franchise
cs. as well as all or any or its proper
ty.' When foreign corporation con-
plies with certain 'provisions and re.
| quircments," which "provisions and
requirements amount to littlo or
nothing 1t "'shall enjoy the rights
or domestic corporations" In short
! the tendency in this State has been to
! GiVc corporations The same power 20
carry on business which is accorded 10
The private individual. This principle
is wrong. Corporations arc creatures
OF the State, created by the State mot
as the concession OF right, but as 4
favor bestowed" and as such creatures
the State has a right to inquire INTO
their affairs and methods OF transact
ing business, and when it is satisfied
! their methods &rc such as are not con-
| ducive to the welfare Of a majority Of
/ thc people, then that State which Gre
ated them has the right to put them
out Of existence.
The Attorney General suggests SeV-
cr"l amendments to our existing anti
trust laws and tho enactment Of seve-
"a! new laws. He h?S made a thorough
Investigation Of this question Of con-
trolling the trusts and his cXccllcn.
| report shows much study and care in
| It's preparation. 1t is worthy your most
careful and thoughtful consideration
and my purpose is simply to dircrt
your attention to that report.
RAILROAD COMMISSION.
The annual report CT tho Board CT
Railroad Commissioners for the year
! Just closed is one Of the most complete
| that has hccn issued from this depart
ment. Tnirty-ninc (39) miles Of new
mileage have been built and opcncA
! for traffic during tho year. The Com
mission has h2d many important and
difficult problems with which to deal,
affecting both the railroads and the
people. The solution OF these problems,
as well as the condition Of the rail-
roads in the State, is fully stated in the
report Of the Board, and your attention
is directed to this report for informa-
ton concerning this department Of the
State government.
STATE HOSPITAL FOR TIE IN
SANE.
The constant accumulation 0f the in
| sane in aSylumS has been ono Of the
most startling features in the history
Of the great charities Of the century
| Just closed, these great asylums be-
ing at once the pride Of tho humani-
tartan and stumbling block to the
legislative economist
In origin oar State Hospital dates
among the very first. and it is now
entering upon tho cightioth year Of its
existence. Although unfortunately To-
Gated within a city, when it should
| have been long since removed TO the
country, it has fulfilled its important
mission in our Commonwealth ana
given shelter to over 10000 inmates.
During the past year the admission hf
i59 patients has been the largest in
the history Of the institution.
The growth Of the Hospital during
the last quarter Of century, and rS-
pecially during The last decade has