The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-21
PRESIDENTS TRUST POLICY
The Attitude Of the Administration
Officially Voiced.
LEGISLATION IS RECOMMENDED

ices Affecting Interstate Trade be
Made 0nsnsss TO Re Enjoined and Pun
ished-rhs Formation Of . Trust Com
mission suxrested-Onacial Statement.
Washington. D. C.-President Roose-
veit has made an official declaration
as to what he wishes in the wav OF
antitrust legislation.
The following abstract Of Attorney
General Knox's recommendations re-
garding trusts and combinations. which
were made public ut some length, was
given out at the White House. II
represents the general attitude Of the
Administration on this subject. and
was authorized by the President. II
Il as follows:
"Preliminary-The people do not de-
sire the business Of the country to be
interfered with beyond the regulation
necessary to control combinations
where they act improperly and to cor
rect 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 IL competition Is kept
free.
small enterprises have certain al.
vantages over large combinations. n
will live and thrive II assured OF all
open and fair field. Rebates and dis
%criminatory rates constitute one OF the
chief restrictions on competition. They
unjustly swell the earnings OF favored
concerns. and. supporting a vast vol
ume Of capital stock which represents
nothing but unfair advantage over
rivals. contribute largely to the up
building OF monopoly.
Individual industrial experience.
with the certainty Of securing employ
ment Of capital. may be trusted to
compete effectively with such selfish
combinations as are not formed Tor
sound economic reasons. but merely IN
order to capitalize the country's pros
perity for the benefit Of their promot-
ans. The existence Of most OF these
combinations has not decreased the
productive capacity Of the country:
they have merely acquired the owner
ship of pre-existing industries.
Recommendations for immediate
iesislation-That all discriminatory
practices affecting interstate trade be
made oftenses to be enjoined and pun
ished.
"Such LEGISLATION to be directed alike
against those who give and those VINO
receive illegal advantages and to cover
discrimination In prices as against
competitors In particular localities re-
sorted to for the purpose Of destroying
competition.
I'm order to reach producers guilty
OF these ~ofSenses. who are rs producers
merely beyond national control. q pen.
atty should be imposed upon the In
terstate and foreign transportation OF
goods produced by them. and Federal
courts should be given power to re-
strain such transportation at the Gov
ernment's suit.
such legislation Is necessary be-
cause the existing interstate COM
merce law does not give an enective
remedy in this class Of cases against
either shipper or carrier.
"The casus omissus In the interstate
commerce should now be supplied by
imposing a penalty upon carrier and
beneficiary alike. and by giving to the
courts the right to restrain all sucn IN
fractions Of the law.
Provision should also be made TO
reach corporations and combinations
which produce wholly within Q state
hat whose products enter Interstate
commerce. This provision should re-
Late. first, to concerns which fatten on
rebates; second, to concerns which
seIl commodities below the general
price In particular localities or In any
other way In particular localities seek
to destroy competition.
.sThere shauJa be q comprehensive
plan to enable the Government to get
ne all the facte bearing upon the or
~eanixation and practices Of concerns
engaged In interstate commerce. not
with a view to hamperlng any legiti-
mate business or such concerns. but IN
order to be in position to take action
if necessary.
'sTo this end q commission or q spe-
cial bureau In the proposed Depart
mens Of Commerce should be created.
whose duty II should be to investigate
the operations Of concerns engaged In
: interstate or foreign commerce. md TO
Gather information and data enabling
II TO make recommendations for addi'
tional legislation to report to the Presi'
dent.
.sThis would be a first step In secur
ing proper publicity. This commission
should have authority to inquire into
the management Of any concern doing
an interstate business whenever 1t De-
comes necessary or desirable: 1t should
have the authority to call for reports
from them, to compel testimony from
all witnesses and by the production OF
books, papers. etc.
.GThese recommendations are based
on the central thought that the first
step should be taken by a law aimed ut
what are certainly known to be un-
reasonable practices directly restrictive
of freedom Of eommerc. and by q law
securing some governmental superVis.
ion. az outlined above. A special ACT
should be passed ut once to speed the
final decision Of cases pending or to
be raised under the present antitrust
law. providing for the hearing OF such
cases by a full bench Of Circuit Judges.
and for n direct appeal from the Cir.
cult Courts to the Supreme Court OF
the United States"
servian Kings Papers Stolen.
There Is great excitement Mt Nlsh.
where the Servian Court IL staying,
oxrjnp to the fact that the notes which