The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-02-27
ANTI TRUST ACT.

The most varied comment is to be
found in the public press upon the
antitrust Legislation that has just
been enacted by congress. Almost
without exception, the law has been
condemned by the democratic pa
pers, while the republican press see
in the new law sure remedy for all
OF the existing trust evIls. The demo-
Gratis call it lame and impotent eff
fort to fool the people, while the re-
publicans hail it with joy, as being
fulfillment of the promises of the
republican party 1t is quite proba-
Bile that all of these extravagant
claims are wide of the mark. and
while the new law will no doubt fall
short of abatng the trust evil, it is
surely step, if only a short one. in
the right direction.
The Littlefield bill, which was pre-
pared under the direction of Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Attorney General
Knox, was finally dropped, after it
had passed the house by unanimous
vote, the reason given being that it
was considered unconstitutional by
Attorney General Knox; but, as he
had hand in preparing the bill, it
seems strange that he did not sooner
discover this defect in the bill 1t
is more probable that the real reason
tor dropping the bill was the opposi-
ton of the trusts. The bill which be-
came law was known as the Elkins
bill, while two other bills carried i'm
portant amendments designed to reg
ulate the trusts.
The law creating the new depart
ment Of commerce was amended so
as to provide for commissioner of
corporations. who Shall have power
and absolute authority to make, I'M
der the direction and control of the
secretary of commerce and labor, dill
lgept investigation into the organiza-
ton, conduct and management of the
business of any corporation. joint
stock company, or corporate combi-
nation engaged i'll commecce among
the several states and with foreign
nations, excepting common carriers
subject TO an act to regulate ON
merce, approved February 1, 1887.
and to gather such information and
data as will enable the president of
the United States to make recon-
mendations to congress for legisla-
ton for the regulation of such com
mercc, and to report such data to the
president from time to time as he
shall require; and the information so
obtained, or as much thereof as the
president may direct, shall be made
public"
The Elkins bill imposes a fine of
from 81 900 to $4,000 for giving or
accepting any rebate of transporta-
ton charges while the Nelson
amendment provides for the pubica-
ton of all transactions of corpora
tons engaged in interstate com
merce. The latter clause is the one
most seriously objected to by the
trust magnates. and it is said that
the president of the Standard Oil
company wired a number of United
States senators. telling them that
this legislation must be stopped but
th0 puoliNdlioli Vi tHe teleSTdlnS re-
suited in the act being promptly
passed.
1t is too early to predict the result
OF the new legislation, but one thing
may be noted, which is that the eff
cacy OF the law depends entirely upon
the spirit in which it is enforced, and
sc long as its enforcement is in the
hands of such man as Attorney
General Knox, who went into the
cabinet from the Office of the steel
trust, but little can be hoped for in
the way of results