Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-04

the mere fact>of the publication would cure
some very grave evils, for the light OF Dag
is deterrent to wrongdoing. 1t Wou,o
for the time being, we could devise no
way to grapple. Finally, it would disclose
others which could be grappled with and
cured by further legislative action.
New Department Organized.
In it's wisdom Congress enacted the
very important law providing a Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor, and further
providing therein under the Secretary OF
Commerce and Labor for a commissioner
of corporations, charged with the duty of
supervision Of and of making Intelligent
investigation into the organization ana
conduct of corporations engaged In inter-
state commerce. His powers to expose
illegal or hurtful practices and to obtain
all information needful for the purposes or
further Intelligent legislation seem ade-
quate; and the publicity justifiable and
proper for public purposes is satisfactorily
guaranteed. The law was passed at the
very end of the session of Congress
Owing to the lateness Of it's passage
Congress was not able to provide proper
equipment for the new department.. ana
the first few months must necessarily be
spent in the work of organization, and
the first Investigations must necessarily
be of a tentative character Inc satls-
factory development of such system re-
cures Tune ana great ldDOT IHoSc WIZ
are intrusted with the administration of
the new law will asSuredly administer 1t
in a spirit of absolute fairness and Justice
and of entire fearlessness with the frm
purpose not to hurt any corporation doing
a legitimate business-on the contrary, TO
help it-and, on the other band, not to
spare any corporation which may be
guilty of illegal practices or the methods
of which may make it menace to the
public welfare Some substantial good
1,jll no IN the immediate future:
and as the department gets fairly to
work under the law an ever larger vista
for good work will be opened along the
lines indicated The enactment Of this
law is one of the most significant contri-
buttons which have been made in our
time toward the proper solution OF the
problem Of the relations to the people
of the great corporations and corporate
combina tons.
Industrial Commissions Work.
But much though this is. it is only part
of what has been done in the effort to
ascertain and correct improper trust or
monopolistic practices. Some eighteen
months ago the industrial commission, an
able and non-partisan body reported to
Congress the result Of their investigation
of trusts and Industrial combinations. One
of the most important of their conclusions
was that Determinations in freight rates
and facilities were granted favored ship
pers by the railroads and that these dis
ordinations clearly tended toward the CON
troll of production and prices in many fields
of business by large combinations. That
this conclusion was justifable was shown
by the disclosures In the investigation of
railroad methods pursued in the fall and
winter of O1-1902 It was then shown
that certain trunk lines had entered into
unlawful agreements as to the transporta-
ton of food products from the west to the
Atlantic seaboard. giving few favored
shippers rates much below the tariff
charges imposed upon the smaller dealers
and the general public. These unjust prac
tees had prevailed to such an extent and
for so long time that many of the smaller
shippers had been driven out of business,
until practically one buyer of grain on each
railway system had been able by his illegal
advantages to secure a monopoly on the
line with which his secret compact was
made: this monopoly enabling him to fix
the price to both producer and consumer.
Many of the great packing house concerns
were shown to be in combination with each
lines. whereby they enjoyed large secret
concessions in rates and thus obtained a
practical monopoly of the fresh and cured
meat industry of the country. These fu-
sions, though violative Of the statute, had
prevailed unchecked for 80 many years
that they had become intrenched in and
interviewer with the commercial life of GER
tain large distributing localities: although
this was Of course at the expense Of the
vast body of law-abiding merchants. the
general public. and particularly Of unfa-
vored localities.
Under those circumstances 1t was a Sc
rious problem to determine the wise course
to follow in vitalizing law which had In
Of enforcement. OF what the Attorney
General did in enforcing 1t shall speak
later. The decisions Of the courts upon the
law had betrayed weaknesses and imper-