Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1903-01-10
TRUST LEGISLATION.
President Favors Attorney Gen.
erals Proposed Remedy.
Suggests IN Investigating Committee Who
Would Have Power to Inquire into the
Management Of Any Concern Doing
an Interstate Business.

Washington, Jan. THE following
abstract of the attorney generals
recommendations regarding trusts
and combinations represents the gen.
eral attitude of the administration
on this subject and was authorized
by the president:
The people do not desire the bust
ness of the country to he 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 capable men, monopoly will
be impossible if competition is kept
free. Small enterprises have certain
advantages over large combinations
and will live and thrive if assured of
an open and fair field. Rebates and
discriminatory rates constitute one
of the chief restrictions on COMPETE
ton. The situation respecting trans
portation discrimination and the en-
try of independent capital into new
industries 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.
1t is recommended that all dis.
criminatory practices affecting in
terstate trade be made otfenses tc
be enjoined and punished. Such leg
islation to he directed alike against
those who give and those who receive
Illegal advantages, and to cover dis.
elimination in prices as against com.
petitors in particular localities re-
sorted to for the purpose of destroy
ing competition. In order to reach
producers guilty of these offenses
who are as producers merely beyond
national control. penalty should be
imposed upon the interstate and for
eign transportation of goods pro
duced by them and federal courts
should be given power to restrain
such transportation ut the govern
ment's suit.
Provision should also be made tc
reach corporations and combines
which produce wholly within state
but whose products enter interstate
commerce. This provision should re
late, first, to concerns which fatter
on rebates; second, to concerns which
sell commodities below the general
price in particular localities or in
any other way in particular localities
seek to destroy competition.
There should be comprehensive
plan to enable the governmest to get
ut all the facts bearing upon the
organization and practices of con-
Germs engaged in interstate COM
MERGE, not with view to hampcring
any legitimate business of such con-
Germs, but in order to be in posi-
ton to take action if necessary. To
this end n commission or special bu-
reau in the proposed department OF
commerce should be created, whose
duty it should be to investigate the
operations of concerns engaged in in
terstate or foreign commerce. This
commission should have authority to
inquire into the management of any
concern doing an interstate business,
whenever 1t becomes necessary or de-
sirable; It should have the authority
to call for reports from them, to
compel testimony from all witnesses
and the production of books, papers,
etc.
A special act should be passed at
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 a
direct appeal from the circuit courts
to the supreme court of the United
States.