Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-01-09
THE TRUST EVIL.
KnoX's Remedies Endorsed by
Administration.
Laws Are Needed to Prevent Rebate
Giving by Railroads-COmp
Must be Free Abstract Of the
Attorney Generals Rec
concentrations.

concentrations.
Washington, Jan. 7-The following
abstract of the attorney generals
recommendations regarding trusts
and combinations, which were made
public at some length yesterday was
given out at the White House last
night. 1t represents the general at
titude of the administration on this
subject and was authorized by the
president.
PRELIMINARY.
The people do not desire the busi-
ness of the country to be interfered
with beyond the regulation necessary
to control combinations where they
act improperly and to correct any
tendency toward monopoly. In this
country, where money is cheap and
abundant and within the reach OF
keen and capable men, monopoly will
be impossible if competition is kept
free.
Small enterprises have certain ad-
vantages over large combinations
and will live and thrive if assured of
an open and fair field. Rebates and
discriminatory rates constitute one
of the chief restrictions on competi-
tion. They uniustly swell the earn
ings of favored concerns and, sup
porting vast volume of capital stock
which represents nothing but unfair
advantage over rivals, contribute
largely to the upbuilding of monop-
oily.
The situation respecting transpor-
tation discriminate and the entry
of Independent capital into new i'm
dustries has lately been improved.
The amount of capital embarked in
independent enterprises in the past
two years at least equals the total
capital of the great combinations
formed within the previous 12 years.
With assurance against predatory
competition, this improvement will
| continue.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGIs-
LATION.
That all discriminatory practices
affecting interstate trade be made of
fences to be enjoined and punished.
Such legislation to be directed alike
against those who give and those who
receive illegal advantages, and to
cover discrimination in prices as
against competitors in particular To-
calities, resorted to for the purpose
of destroying competition.
Iii order to reach producers guilty
of these offenses, penalty should
be imposed upon the interstate and
foreign transportation of goods pro-
duced by them, and federal courts
should be given power to restrain
such transportation at the govern.
ment's suit.
Such legislation is necessary be.
cause the existing Interstate com.
merce law does not give an effective
remedy in this class of cases against
either shipper or carrier.
The interstate commerce act
should be amended by imposing a
penalty upon carrier and beneficiary
alike, and by giving to the courts the
right to restrain all such infractions
of the law.
The prohibition against carriers
should be limited to those subject tc
the act to regulate commerce. Only
carriers operating a line of railroad
or rail and water line as one line
are required to publish their rates
and adhere to them. 1t is impractc
able to control lines operating who'll
ly by water. Rates of water trans
portation are necessarily open to the
freest competition, are invariably low
by comparison aNl thus naturally
furnish the standard of reasonable
ness without express regulation.
Tt should be made unlawful t.
transport traffic by carriers subjec
to the interstate commerce act at {
less rate than the Nublished rate, ant
all who participate in violating tn,
law should be punished.
Provision should also be made t.
reach corporations and combina tion
which produce wholly within state
but whose products enter inter-stat,
commerce. This provision should re
late, first, to concerns which fatte1
on rebates; second, to concerns whicl
sell commodities below the genera
price in particular localities, or in an,
other way in particular localities seel
to destroy competition.
There should be a comprehensive
plan to enable the government to ge
: at all the facts bearing upon the OF
} ganization and practices of concern
engaged in Interstate commerce, no
with view to hamperng any legit
innate business of such concerns, bu
] in order to be in position to take ac
tion if necessary.
( To this end a commission or spe
cial bureau in the proposed depart
q ment of commerce should be createt
whose duty it should be to invest
gate the operations of concerns er
gagged in Interstate or foreign com
+ merce, to gather data enabling it t
S make recommendations for addition