Arizona republican., 1903-04-04

against the will of the owner, hold their corporate powers as carriers in trust for the fairly impartial service of all the public. Favoritism in the use of such powers, unjustly enriching some and unjustly impoverishing others discriminating in favor of some places and against others, is palpably viola tive of plain principles of justice. Such practice unchecked is hurtful in many ways. Congress having had it's attention drawn to the matter, enacted most important anti-rebate law, which greatly strengthens the inter state comerce law. This new law pro- 1 hibits under adequate penalties the giving and as well the demanding or | receiving of such preferences, and pro- vides the preventive remedy of in- | junction. The vigorous administra tion of this law, and it will be enforced, will. it is hoped, afford a substantial | remedy for certain trust evils which have attracted public attention and have created public unrest.
 This law represents a noteworthy and important advance toward just and effective regulation of transporta- tion. Moreover. it's passage has been supplemented by the enactment of law to expedite the hearing of actions | of public moment under the antitrust act, known as the Sherman law, and under the act to regulate commerce, at 1 the request of the attorney-general: :: and furthermore additional funds have been appropriated to be expended | under the direction of the attorney i general in the enforcement of these laws.
 All of this represents great and substantial advance in legislation. But
 more important even than legisla tioll is the administration of the law, and
 I ask your attention for a moment to
 the way in which the law has been ad-
 ministered by the profound jurist and
 fearless public servant who now occu-
 pies the position of attorney-generaI Mir. Knox. The constitution enjoins , upon the president that he shall take care that the law be faithfully eXecut- ; ed. and under this provision the attor- i: ney-general formulated a policy which was in effect nothing but the rigid
 enforcement by suits managed with consummate skill and ability, both of the antitrust law and of the imper- feet provisions of the act to regulate nc uTSl step IdhGn was the prosecution of fourteen suits : against the principal railroads of the middle west, restraining them by in- junction from further viola atfons oi the laws in question.
 | NORTHERN SECURITIES CASE. About the same time the cast
 against the Northern Securities com pany was initiated. This was a cor. g poration organized under the laws O. New Jersey with a capital of foul T hundred million dollars, the alleged l purpose being to control the Grea Northern and the Northern Pacifi, railroad, two parellel and competin: lines extending across the northerI ,. tier of states from the Mississippi rive T to the Pacific ocean. Whatever tn purpose its consumEiation would
 have resulted in the control of the tw, l great railway systems upon whicl ' people of the northwestern states wer . so largely dependent for their supplie
 and to get their products to marke
 being practically merged into the NeN
 Jersey corporation. The proposition tha
 these independent systems of railroad should be merged under single con , trol alarmed the people of the state , concerned, lest they should be subject ed to what they deemed a monopoly c
 interstate transportatio ton and the sur
 pression of competition. The gover
 norS of the states most deeply affecte
 held meeting to consider how to pre-
 vent the merger becoming effective an I passed resolutions calling upon the na tional government to enforce the ant trust laws against the alleged com bination. When these resolutions wer referred to the attorney-general fC 3 consideration and advice, he reporte that in his opinion the Northern Secul I ities company and it's control of u ! railroads mentioned was a combina tic
 in restraint of trade and was attempt
 ing a monopoly in violation of the nf
 tionaI antitrust law. Thereupon
 suit in equity, which is now pendin
 was begun by the government to te
 the validity of this transaction und,
 the Sherman law.
 At nearly the same time the di
 closures respecting the secret rebat
 enjoyed by the great packing hou
 companies, coupled with the very hig
 price of meats. led the attorney-gel
 eral to direct an investigation into u
 methods of the so-called beef trus Il The result was that he filed bills f
 injunction against six of the princip ,r packing house companies, and restrai t. ed them from combining and agreeiI l. upon prices at which they would s' their products in states other ths S. those in which their meats were pr g. pared for market. Writs of injunctit V were issued accordingly. and sin Y. then, after full argument, the Unit r1 States circuit court has made the i S. junction perpetual
 'o THE COTTON POOL.
 n. "The cotton interests of the sout
 including ernWerS huYers and Shi