The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-01-08
A PLAIN STATEMENT
Attitude Of Administration
Regarding Trusts Defined.
MONOPOLY MUST BE CHECKED.
Legitimate Business Not to he Inter
fered witb--Thosc Guilty of Dis
terminating Practices Must
He Punished.


combinations has been given out at the
White House. 1t 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-
BILE 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
eliminating rates constitute one of the
chief restrictions on competition. They
unjustly swell the earnings Of favored
concerns and, supporting n vast vol
ume Of capital stock which represents
nothing but unfair advantage over ri
walls, contribute largely to the upbuild-
ing of monopoly.
"The situation respecting transporta-
ton determinations and the entry of
Independent capital into new industries
has lately been improved. 1t is now
known that the amount of capital en-
barked 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 expert
ence with the certainty of secure en-
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 countrys 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.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMME-
DIATE LEGISLATION.
at 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
| L. toI 10 fnr IN mn
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 sup
piled by imposing a penalty upon car
rier and beneficiary alike and by Civ
ing to the courts the right to restrain
| all such infra ctions 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
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.
1T 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 combinations
which produce wholly within state,
but whose products enter interstate
commerce. This provision should re-
late first to concerns which fatten 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 de-
stroy competition.
There should be comprehensive
plan TO enable the governor to get at
all the facts bearing upon the organi-
zation and practices of concerns en-
gagged in interstate commerce, not with
view to hampering any legitimate
business Of such concerns, but in order
to be in position to take action if nee
essary.
ITO this end a commission or spe.
cial bureau 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 to gather
information and data enabling it tc
make recommendations for additional
legislation to report to the president
This would be first step in securing
proper publicity.
"These recommendations are based