Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-02-28
lnnocuous= L Legislation:

lnnocuousE Legislation. :: I'D
The present session of congress- has
it's work, as far as anti
trust legislation is concerned. We
have the Elkins anti rebate bill, the
provision for gathering statistics con:
corning trusts, and the provisions for
Fastening the course of judicial pro-
ceediugs in such matters.
Against neither of these laws haYe
the trust representatives in congress
raised their voice. The only mention
of opposition was in the Rockefeller
kilograms, OF which so much has been
said. And that was probably the
strongest move made by the trusts to
hasten the legislation in question and
convince the people that something
was really being done to the trusts:
# Rockefeller had really been anxious
to prevent the passage Of that legis-
lation he would certainly not have
taken such q course. It must be re-.
membered that New York is not very
far from Washington, and that the
agents of Rockefeller could have
reached the capital before congress
could have done anything. They
could have reached every man that
Rockefeller had any Influence with, and
done it quietly. =.
The only inference that we can draw
from this acquiescence of the trusts Is
that they consider the legislation
passed as perfectly harmless. They
are used to circumventing the law and
fear nothing as long as they control
the means of carrying on commerce.
They were probably pleased to have q
show of legislating against, them, in
order to quiet the people, who had be-
come restless on account of the coal
troubles.
Thirteen years ago we had an ex-
ample of that kind of legislation.
The people had become restless under
the combinations in restraint of trade.
The Sherman antitrust law was
passed, and We were told that that
measure would settle the question.
How we'll 1t did it's work we can figure
out when we find that all but thirteen
of the trusts now in existence have
been organized since that law went in
to effect. In fact, it has been an In
centive to trust formation, as it was
easier under that law to do business
under trust form than under the old
combine form. We have also had a
railroad commission during all those
years, and the result has been the un-
ion OF . number Of Ind ependent roads
under one management, Instead etthe
old pooling arrangement.
Moody's Manual of Corporation
Securities figures up $50 trusts or in
dustrial combinations with a capitali-
zation Of SO, 600, 900, 600. Adding in the
railroad combinations makes a total
trust capitalization of SIS, 600, ,00O, 900.
Eight hundred thirty seven trusts Or
ganized since the passage of the Sher-
man antitrust law! What a chance
for prosecution has heen offered here!
Now, how much has been done?
Twenty six suits have been started
against illegal combines. Eleven of
these cases have been decided against
the government, two are still pending,
ten have been won by the government.
OF these ten four were against labor
organizations, leaving net balance
of six injunctions against industrial
or traffic combines, causing said COM
bines to form closer trust combina-
tion.
That is the result of republican
activity against combinations in thir-
teen years. How much more can we
expect from legislation endorsed by
the trusts?
A system that has revolutionized in
dustry and commerce cannot be
reached by any little patchwork legis-
lation. AS long as the instruments of
trade are left in the hands of private
monopoly just so long will they con-
troll trade and industry in spite of all
political clap-trap efforts. When the
people realize this we will have a
change that will restore industrial
freedom. Patchwork legislation only
puts of the day of reckoning by fool
ing the people into believing that the
problem is being solved.
" Railroads Raise Coal Rates.
At q meeting held in Pittsburg, Pa.