New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-31
IT'S. POWERS ARE AMPLE.
e. B. Whitney, of Nezc-Y ork, Says
CONGRESS- Can Abolish Trusts.

Chicago, Dec Backward 3. Whitney. of
New-York declared to-day before the American
Political Science and Economic associations
that Congress has the direct power to put an
end of the United States Steel Corporation, the
anthracite coal pool and similar corporations
In paper upon Government Interference with
Industrial Combinations he asserted that law
forbidding a company engaged in interstate
commerce to engage in a productive industry
would prohibit such "agglomeration."
His paper read before a Joint session or the
two associations, and followed by discus
sion in which Professor ]. w. jerks, of Cornell
and E. E. Prussing. of Chicago. took the lead
Mr.. Whitney declared in part:
Congress has entire Jurisdiction over inter
state commerce, and can therefore impose any
conditions not specially prohibited by 1.-THE Con-
stitution upon corporations engaging In inter-
state commerce. 1t has the same broad power
to exclude State corporations from interstate
commerce. except upon its own terms. which
State has to exclude from its territory cor
poration of another State.
Its terms may include restrictions upon the
membership of the corporation, so as TO prevent
its being controlled by any outside corporation.
and 1t may declare that company engaged
in interstate transportation can be engaged in
any productive industry, either directly or in
directly by lease. stock ownership, bond owner
ship, otherwise thus breaking UP such ag-
sloHerations as the United States Steel Corpora
ton or the members OF the so-called anthracite
coal pool.
1t can impose conditions by means of q license.
suggested by Commissioner Garfield, UP to
the point where the companies would regard 1T
preferable to retire from interstate commerce
altogether each factory selling to jobbers at its
doors. The device of a selling company
attached to each industrial corporation con-
trOlled by it through stock ownership would
prove insufficient
The demand for publicity should be granted
under proper regulations to every corpora
ton great enough to constitute political issue.
If such q corporation cannot be successful under
into smaller bodies, but by publicity is not
meant the kind intended by the law establish
ing the Bureau of Corporations at Washington.
II may be more dangerous to the public to nave
the secrets of great corporations shared be-
tween their directors and dominant political
organization than to have them confined to the
directors alone
, George b. Foster. ex-Mlnister Of Finance.
Toronto. Canada, discussed the imperial prefer
ence as embodied in the Canadian tariff, con-
arouse attention, widen knowledge, increase
community of interest and reinforce ties of
loyalty and tend to complete unity between
Britain and her colonies. Preferential treat
ment ne said, cuts across reciprocity, the two
being largely incompatible the former, COM
bined with protective policies, being too strong
for the latter.
Professor Henry c. Adams, of the University
of Michigan, spoke Tendencies in the Law
Short of Queens University. Kingston Canada.
read paper entitled Preferential Trade be
tween Canada and Britain" and Professor A w.
Flux, of McGill University, Montreal, devoted
himself to the question DO Reciprocal Prefer
entail Tariffs Tend Toward Free Trader"