Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1903-01-08
TO CHECK TRUSTS.
CABINET ISSUES SUGGESTIONS
FOR CONTROLLING COMBINES.


Discrimination and All Attacks on
Free Competition to Be Made lille.
gal-Immediate Action by Con.
gress is Urged.
Washington, Jan. 1.-THE following
abstract of the attorney generals
recommendations regarding trusts and
combines which were made public yes
terday, was given out at the white
house. 1t represents the general atti-
tude of the administration on the sub
ject, and was authorized by the presi-
dent: The people do not desire the
business of the country to be inter-
fered with beyond the regulation
necessary for the control of corpora
lions and to control any tendency to-
ward monopoly. In this country, where
money is cheap and abundant, it will
be impossible if competition is kept
free. Small enterprises have certain
advantages. over large corporations,
and will live and thrive If assured of
a fair and open field. Rebates and
discriminatory rates constitute one of
the chief restrictions on competition.
They unjustly swell the. earnings Of
favored concerns and support vast
volume Of capital stock, which repre-
sents nothing but unfair advantage
over rivals, and contributes largely to
the upbuilding of monopoly. The sit
uation respecting transportation dis
examinations and entry of present
capital into new Industries has lately
been improved. It is now known that
the amount of capital embarked in in
dependent enterprises in the past two
years at least equals the total capital
of the great combinations formed
within the previous twelve years.
With assurance against predatory
competition, this improvement will
continue.
recommendations for Legislation.
That all discriminatory practices
affecting Interstate trade be made Of
lenses to be enjoined and punished.
Such legislation to be directed alike
against those who give and those who
receive illegal advantages, and to COW
er discrimination in prices as against
competitors in particular localities re-
sorted to for the purpose of destroying
competition. In order to reach pro-
ducers guilty of these offenses who
are, as producers merely, beyond ma
tional control, a penalty should be i'm
posed upon the interstate and foreign
transportation of goods produced by
them and federal courts should be
given power to restrain such trans
portation at the governments suit.
Such legislation is necessary because
the existing interstate commerce law
does not give an effective remedy in
this class of cases against either ship
per or carrier.
The casus omissus in the interstate
commerce act should now be supplied
by imposing penalty upon carrier
and beneficiary alike and by giving to
the court the right to restrain all such
attractions of the law.
The prohibition against carriers
should be limited to those subject to
the act to regulate commerce. Only
carriers operating line of railroad
are required to publish their rates
and adhere to them. It is impractical
BILE to control lines operating wholly
by water. Rates of water transporta-
ton are necessarily open to the freest
competition, are invariably low by
comparison and thus naturally furnish
the standard Of reasonableness with
out express regulation. 1t should be
made unlawful to transport traffic by
carriers subject to the interstate com
merce act at less rate than the pub
lished rate, and all who participate in
violating the law should be punished.
Provision should also be made to
reach corporations and combinations
which produce wholly within state,
but whose products enter into inter-
state commerce. This provision should
relate first to the concerns which fat
ten on rebates, second to concerns
which sell commodities below the gen.
eral price in particular localities or
which seek to destroy competition.
There should be comprehensive plan
to enable the government to get at all
the facts bearing upon the organiza-
ton and practices of concerns engaged
in interstate commerce.
To this end a commission of a spe-
cial bureau in the proposed depart
ment Of commerce should be created,
whose duty it should be to investigate
the operations Of concerns engaged
in interstate or foreign commerce, to
gather information and data enabling
| it to make recommendations for addi-
tional legislation, to report to the
president. This would be first step
in securing proper publicity. This
commission should have authority to
inquire into the management of any
concern doing an interstate business
| or whenever it becomes necessary or
desirable, it should have the author
ity to call for reports from them, to
compel testimony from all witnesses
and the production Of books, papers etc
These recommendations are based