The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-07

transport traffic by carriers subject to
the act to regulate commerce at any
rate less than such carriers published
rate, and all who participate in the
violation of such law should be pun
ished.
"An additional provision should be
made to reach corporations, combna-
lions and associations which produce
and manufacture wholly within a
state, but whose products or sales en-
ter into interstate commerce.. II
should relate, first, to such concerns
as fatten on rebates in transportation,
and second, to concerns which sell to
the general price of commodity in
particular localities, or otherwise in
particular localities wantonly seek to
destroy competition. These could be
excluded with their commodities, pro-
ducts. or manufactures from crossing
state lines.
las the power of Congress over in
terstate commerce is plenary, except
ing as 1t may be limited by the con-
sttution, it is believed that 1t may inn
pose such a punishment for the vio-
lation of the public policy of the nation.
"A commission should be created to
aid in carrying out the provisions of
the act OF July 2, 1890 and any further
ltS lHlhAlOi AtAtlNilB " NpiAiAiiCi ~
should be the duty of such commits
sion, among other things, to make dill
igent investigation into the operations
and conduct of all corporations, COM
binations and concerns engaged in in
terstate or foreign commerce.
"Such a commission should have au-
thority to inquire into the manage
ment of the business of such corpora
tions and concerns to keep itself in
formed aG ia fhp manner and method
I'm which the same is conducted, to-
obtain from such concerns full and
complete information necessary to en-
able the commission to perform the
duties and carry out the objects for
which it is created. AS there are no
means now provided by law for COM
polling testimony, such a law should
provide that no person should be ex-
cused from attending and testifying or
from producing books, papers, con-
tracts, and documents before such
commission or the courts.
"Of course the general scheme Of
legislation to correct trust abuses
should be developed with great care,
for it is not nearly so important to act
quickly as to act wisely. Primarily,
the question of the power of Congress
to reach what the Sherman act seems
to have missed should be authorita-
lively determined, as upon that propo-
sition the whole structure OF effective
regulative legislation must rest. We
should at once take the first steps by
a law aimed at whaf we certainly know
to be unreasonable practices directly
restrictive of freedom of commerce
upon which the fundamental question
can be raised, and by law comforting
upon the government a general super
Visory power as above outlined.
Another step in legislation which I
earnestly recommend. and which will,
If enacted, greatly hasten solution
of the problem, is that an act be pass
ed as soon as possible to speed the final
decision of cases now pending, and
others that may be raised under the
antitrust law. / refer to an act to
enable the Attorney General to Sc
cure the original hearing by a full
bench Of the circuit judges in the cir
cult, wherein is pending any suit
brought by the United States under the
antitrust law, which the Attorney Gem
eral certified to the court to involve
questions of great public importance,
and giving an appeal from their decis-
ion directly to the Supreme Court OF
the United States.
ut is too much to say that with
these gaps closed the scheme of gov
ernmental regulation will be complete;
but II is clear that without some sim
ilar legislation it would continue to be
inadequate. And such legislation will
make long, first stride in advance"