The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-01-17
KNOX ON THE TRUST QUESTION.
Attorney General Makes Public His Views Which
Represent Attitude of nistrotion--Rec-
concentrations for Legislation.

Washington, Jan. THE following
abstract of the attorney generals
recommendations regarding trusts
and combinations. which were made
public at some length Tuesday. was
given out at the white house. 1t
represents the general attitude Of
the administration on this subject.
and was authorized by the president.
Preliminary.
The people do not desire the bust
ness of the country to be interfercd
with beyond the regulation necessary
to control combinations where they
act improperly and to correct 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.
vantages over large combinations,
and will live and thrive IL assured Of
an open and fair field. Rebates and
discriminatory rates constitute one
of the chief restrictions on compe-
tition. They unjustly swell the earn
ings of favored concerns and, sup
porting vast volume Of capital
stock which represents nothing but
unfair advantage over rivals, con-
tribute largely to the upbuilding Of
monopoly.
The situation respecting transpor-
tation determinations and the entry
of independent capital into new in
dustries has lately been improved
1t is now known that the amount of
capital embarked in independent en-
terprises in the past two years at
least equals the total capital of the
great combinations formed within
the previous IL years. With assur-
ance against predatory competition,
this improvement will continue. In
dividual industrial experience with
the certainty of secure employment
of capital may be trusted to compete
effectively with such selfish combi-
nations as are not formed for sound
economic reasons, but merely in order
to capitalize the country's prosperity
for the benefit of their promoters.
The existence OF most of those com
binations has not increased the pro-
ductivc capacity of the country, they
have merely acquired the ownership
OF preexisting Industries.
LegIsIatIon Rccomm ended.
The attorney general offers the
following recommendations for i'm
mediate legislation:
That all discriminatory practices
affecting interstate trade be made
offenses to be cnjoined and punished.
Such legislatin to be directed alike
against those who give and those who
receive illegal advantages, and to
cover discrimination in prices as
against competitors in particular
localities resorted to for the purpose
of destroying competition.
In order to reach producers guilty
of these offences who are as produc-
crs merely beyond national control
Il penalty should be imposed upon
the interstate and foreign transport
tation of goods produced by them
and federal courts should be given
power to restrain such transporta-
ton 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
shipper or carrier.
The cas,Is omissus in the inter
state commerce act should now be
supplied by imposing a penalty upon
carrier and beneficiary alike, and by
giving to the courts the right to re-
strain all such infractions Of the law.
The prohibition against carriers
should he limited to those subject to
the act to regulate commerce. Only
carriers operating a line of railroad
or rail and water line as one line
are required to publish their rates