Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-07
A PLAIN STATEMENT
Attitude of Administration
 Regarding Trusts Defined.
MONOPOLY MUST BE CHECKED.

Legitimate Business Not to Be Inter 6ered with-Those Guilty of Dis-
 criminating Practices Must Be Punished. "..t'
 WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.--The follow. ing abstract of the attorney generals recommendations regarding trusts and combinations has been given out at the White House. It represents the gener al attitude of the administration on this subject and was authorized by the president: .~
 'The people do not desire the busi- ness of the country to be interfered 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 capa- ble men monopoly will be impossible if competition is kept free.
 Small enterprises have certain ad- vantages over large combinations and will live and thrive if assured of an open and fair field. Rebates and dis | chief restrictions on competition. They unjustly swell the earnings of favored concerns and, supporting vast vol tune of capital stock which represents nothing but unfair advantage over ri- vals, contribute largely to the upbuild- ing of monopoly.
 "The situation respecting transPorta- ton discriminations and the entry of independent capital into new industries has lately been improved. It is now known that the amount of capital em- parked in independent 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 predato- ry competition this improvement will continue Individual industrial experi- ence with the certainty of secure em- ployment of capital may be trusted to compete effectively with such selfish combinations as are not formed for sound economic reasons. but merely in order to capitalize the country's pros- perity for the benefit of their promo ters The existence of most of these combinations has not increased the productive capacity of the country. They have merely acquired the owner. ship of pre-existing industries.
 RECoMMENDATIO FOR MIME DATE LEGISLATION.
 ''It is recommended that all discrimi- natory practices affecting interstate trade be made offenses to be enjoined and punished, such legislation to be directed alike against those who give and those who receive illegal advan- tages and to cover discrimination in prices as against competitors in par ticular localities resorted to for the pur- pose of destroying competition.
 ''In order to reach producers guilty of these offenses who are as producers merely beyond national control penal. ty should be imposed upon the inter- state 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.
 ''The casus omissus in the inter- state commerce act should now be SUD- piled by imposing a penalty upon car rier and beneficiary alike and by giv- ing to the courts the right to restrain all such infractions 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 or a rail and water line as one line are required to publish their rates and ad- here to them. 1t is impracticable to control lines operating wholly by water. Rates of water transportation are necessarily open to the freest com petition, are invariably low by com parison, and thus naturally furnish the standard of reasonableness without ex- press regulation.
 "It should be made unlawful to transport traffic by carriers subject to the interstate commerce act at less rate than the published rate, and all who participate in violating the law should be punished.
 Provision should also be made to reach corporations and combina tions which produce wholly within a state, but whose products enter interstate commerce.
 "These recommendations are based on the central thought that the first step should be taken by law aimed at what are certainly known to be unrea- sonable practices directly restrictive of freedom of commerce, and by law securing some governmental super vision as outlined above" Syrfmns Ordered Deported. EAGT,E PAgG Tex Ian 7-EiCht