The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-07
BATTLE LAID OUT
The Administration Plans for Max
ing War on Coarse Trust
Work.
Recommended for Immediate
Legislation Along Rather
Conservative Lines.

| Washington Jan. THE following abb
stract of the attorney: generals recon s
mendations rega riding trusts and combina-
represents the general attitude of the adj I
ministration on this subject<and was au-
thorized by the president: s.ss 1
l.. The people do not desire the business OF (
! the country. to. be sinterfered with beyond |;
| the regulation necessary to: control com 4
! binations where they act improperly and
! to correct any tendency toward mo-
nopoly. In this country, where money IS
/ cheap and abundant and within the reacnI
| of keen and capable men, monopoly WILL
i be impossible If competition is kept. free;
Small enterprises have certain advan7 [
| tages over large combina tions, and Will
live and thrive if assured OF an open
and fair field .@5s -: x &: y
Rebates and. discrim tory rates con-
! stitute one Of the chief restrictions on
/ competition They unjustly swell the
!. earnings of favored concerns and. sup-
/ porting a vast volume of capital stock
which represents nothing but unfa irz ad-
{! vantage over rivals, contribute largely to
the upbuilding Of monopoly Il ss
/ The situation respecting transporta ton
1 determinations and the entry Of indie
pendent capital into new industries has
lately been improved. 1t is now known
! that the amount of capital embarked in
| independent enterprises in the past two
/ years at least equals the total capital of
the great com bina tons formed within the
previous twelve years. With assurance
1 against predatory com petition this i'm
provement will continue. Individual in:
dustrial experience with the certainty Of
secure employment of capital; may be
trusted to compete effectively with such
selfish combinations as are not formed
for sound economic reasons, but merely
in order to apitaliZe the country pros
| perity for the benefit of their promoters.
The existence Of most Of these conbina-
lions has not increased the productive ca
pacity of the country; they have: merely
acquired the ownership OF pre-existing in
| dustries. ~ - -&. ~,
That a IL discriminatory practices affect
ing interstate trade be made offenses TO
be enjoined and punished. T. Il. Il :. ~ =
Such legislation to be directed alike
against those who give and those who re-
ceive illegal advantages. and to cover. dis
| crinlna ton in prices as against cOrnpeti
tors in particular localities, resorted to for
; the purpose Of destroying competition.
In order to- reach producers guilty of
, these offenses who are, producers
, merely beyond nationalS control, q penalty
r should be imposed upon the interstate and
foreign transportation Of goods produced
/ by. them, and federal courts should be
+ given power to restrain such transporta
ton at the governments suit 49,.
I / Such legisati ion is necessary because the
existing interstate commerce law does
not give an effective remedy: in this ella SIS
Of cases against either shipper or carrier.
Al The casus omissus in the Interstate
commerce act should now be supplied by
| imposing. penalty upon carrier and
e beneficiary alike. and by. giving to the
. courts the right to restrain all such in
. fractions of the law. - - ~. ~.
: The prohibition against carriers should
be limited to those subject to the act te
, regulate commerce. Only carriers opera:
s ting line Of railroad or a rail and water
ia 81
@ their rates and adhere to them 1t is i'm.
e pra ctica1 TO control lines operating wholly
by water. Rates Of water" transportation
I are necessarily open to- the, freest compe.
, tition, and invariably low by comparison
and this naturally furnish the stand
ard or reasona bleness without express reg
ulation. 80 - So =.
: 1t should be made unlawful to. tiranspor
;, | traffic by. carriers subject to the inter
9 state commerce act at less rate than th
published rate. and all who participant
e in violating the law should be punished
f. - Provision should also be made to sreacl
1t corporations and cOmbinat lions which pro
duce wholly within state, but who's
Y products enter interstate commerce.. Thi
it provision should relate, first to concern
which: fatten on rebates; second, to con
h Germs: Which sell commodities below tn
general price in particular localities, or Il
or any other way in particular localities seel
d, to destroy competition. = = -.
! There should be comprehensive pla
lie to enable the government to get at ali tn
facts bearing upon the organization an
is practices OF concerns engaged in interstat
IN commerce, not with a view to hamperin
any legitimate business OF such concern.
III but In order to be in position to take &C
ton It necessary. 49,. s-,*.:
~ To this end a commission or a specis
Sc bureau in the proposed department {
: commerce should be created, whose duty
q. should be to investigate the opera tions
n concerns engaged in interstate or foreie
W commerce. to gather information and dat
=. enabling 1T to make Communications fc
:le additional legislation to report to til
go president. This would be a first step in Sc
~ curing proper publicity: = - r.:
q This commission should have authorit
as to inquire. into the management OF an
e concern doing an interstate bushes
oe whenever 1t, becomes necessary or desil
able; it should have the authority to Ca
ca for reports from them, to compel test
er mony from all witnesses and by: the prt
duction Of books papers. etc. -
=" These, recommendations are based C
the central thought that the first Ste
should be taken by a law aimed at VIII;
%, q are certainly known to be reasonab
~ PRACTICES directly restrictive of freedo
tie Of commerce. and by a law securing son
- ~ governmental supervision = as outline
-, above: A special act should be passed
-; once to speed the decision Of cases pen,
- ing or to be raised under the present ant
~, trust law, providing for the hearing Y
=" such, cases by. a 5 full. bench Of circu
a. judges and direct appeal from the ci
I'D ITnited statas t'S ete ooe ll:> u u
*s@ - +4indoo Charity Trust,
Bombay millionaire has JUST set ash
s ,s6000.O0o from his personal fortune s
$50 found a charity trust The fund is
10. be used for the relief Of the moor. 4 ct