Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-02
A WEICATY SUBJECT
Members of brotherhood ofSt. Paul
Discuss Corporations.
WAS OPENING SESSION OF SEASON
Methodist Organization Met Last Ev-
ening at the Home of DR.. S. A. Spill
misunderstanding Talks Given-Dis-
cusson Led BY w. A. Work.

lFrom Tuesdays Dailyl
The opening session for the year OF
the Brotherhood of st. Paul OF the
First Methodist Episcopal church was
was held last evening at home of Dr..
S. A. Spilman, 125 East Maple avenue
The topic for the occasion was the
Government Supervision of Corpor-
ate Powers and the question led to
spirited discussion. W. A. Work led
esting talk, which was followed by
Epps, John H. Morreii and DR.. S. A.
Spilman.
The meeting was called to order by
President e. c. Pierce. The report of
the various committees was then read
after which the discussion for the even,
ing was opened. After the program was
finished, refreshments were served
The meeting was we'll attended and the
outlook is very promising for most
successful year.
The following is portion of the ad
dress delivered by Mr.. Work:
Mr.. President and Brethren: The
question of corporations is one that
is being brought very forcibly before the
attention of the people. Not that cor
porations are not old; Blackstone says
that they We're first originated by the
Romans; later authorities state that
they have been in existence since the
time of David and Solomon. AS time
goes on, however, and the business
changed, the corporations have become
more numerous And they are not a
bad thing; there is nothing villianous
about their workings All republican
institutions are founded on corpora
ton and we could scarcely manage a
republican Institution on any other
foundation.
The Public Corporations.
THE state is a public corporation,
carried on by the people by officers put
in by the people, and we are all mem
bersS of this corporation. So it is with
the country and with the city and the
township. These are the public cor
porations and there is nothing objec-
tionable in their workings
The Private Corporations.
"Then @.ere is the private corpora
ton, and we can also see that it is
NClS hSSSSDclly uClG dIe d STedl
many enterprises too vast to be under
taken and handled by an individual.
Take for instance the railroads, street
railways, telegraph systems; enter
prises too vast and requiring too great
an expenditure of cash to be under
taken individually, or to be handled
in any other way save by the methods
of a corporation.
Better Than Partnership.
I'm the ordinary business enter
prises too, a corporation is very con-
venient. An individual in business may
die and the property invested and the
business be thrown into the hands of
the courts. In partnership one of the
partners may die and thus end the
partnership, but in corporation, the
Individual may die or retire from the
firm, but the business will nevertheless
go on without change. This gives
confidence; men in dealing with it do
not ask who owns the stock they know
that no matter what changes are made,
that the business will still be con-
Quoted
Is Better Protected.
Then, too, the business man is bet
ter protected. For instance, if ] go in
to a partnership and it fails, | fail too.
1t involves all my personal property. |
may give little attention to the business
and let my partner run it, but if the
firm becomes bankrupt. l am bank
rupt. If, however, | belong to a CO.
partnership, | may give but little at
tention to the business and if the COR
poration fails l simply lose the value
of my share in the property, invested.
Power of the Ballot Box.
But some things in late years re-
quire that we look into the actions of
some corporations, and say there ough;
to be limitations to the handling of
their affairs. Whenever it becomes
shown that a corporation interferes
with the Jaw of supply and demand,
when they take the little factories as
valuable asset to the large corpora
ton, and limit the supply, charging an
exorbitant price for the product, then
we beg to say that we are opposed to
corporations that are perpetrating
highway robbery on the people, and
that sort of thing will not be tolerated.
The people will not stand it, and they
have the means to stop it, in the power
of the ballot box A vast majority OF
the people are willing and ready to
take steps to remedy this evil when
it can be learned how it is to be done.
George Haw, Jr, was then called
upon and made short talk giving his
views on the subject. The following
is portion of his remarks:
Il consider the corporations a ne
cessity to the business of the country,
and do not think the question is
whether or not they are a good thing,
but the question is how best to control
them when they become a monopoly
Take the steel trust, it absolutely con-
trolls the output of steel and wire nails,
and not only that but the iron produce
tons, from the raw ore to the finished
product. 1t conflicts with competitions
and conflicts with trade"
Short talks were then given by
John H. Morrell and w. w. Epps, both
of whom spoke entertainingly on the
subject DR.. Spilman also spoke a few
words. This was the first meeting OF
the season and despite the inclement
weather a large number of the men,
bers and friends of the order were
nrpSant