The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-07

| vof
 good will and encoura ESf,eEt.
 "The day has gonschy when . corporst,ou can be handled s2ecessfulIy in defiance oi
 the public will, even though that will be un.
 reasonabJe and wrong. public may bs
 iedlN t6t rot driven and ! prefer to 90 vHsh 1t and shape modify. in a measure. sits opinion. rather than be swept from my bearings. with loss to myself and the in terests in my change.
 'violent prejudice exists toward corporate activity and capital today. much of It found ! ed in reason. more in apprehension. and a large measure due to the personal traits oi ! arbitrary. unreasonable. incompetent, and
 offensive men in positions of authority. The accomplishment of results by indirection,
 the endeavor to thwart the intention. If not the direct letter of the law (the will of the
 people) a disregard of the rights of oth-
 CTS. a disposition to withhold what is due,
 to force by main strength or inactivity re
 suit not Justified, depending upon the weak
 ness of the claimant and his indisposition to become involved in litigation. has cre- ated a sentiment harmful in the extreme and a disposition to consider everything fair that gives gain to the individual at the ex- pense Of the company.
 If corporations are to continue to do the worlds york;. as they are best fitted to, these qualities in their representatives that have resulted in the present prejudice against them must be relegated to the back ground. The corporations must come out into the open and and be seen. They must take the public into their confidence and ask for what they want. and no more, and be prepared to explain satisfactorily what advantage will accrue to the public if they are given their desires; for they are permitted to exist not that they may make money solely. but that they may effectively serve those from whom they derive their l power | sD,rhvi 1tf,y u1I after, and laws be construed by their intent and not by their letter, otherwise public utilities will be owned and operated by the public which created them, even though the service be less efficient and the result less satisfactory from financial stand point.
 Bureau of Corporations.
 1 The Bureau of Corporations has made careful preliminary investigation of many important corporations It will make a spec cial report on the beef industry.
 The policy of the Bureau is to accomplish the purposes of Its creation by corporation, not antagonism: by making constructive Legislation, not destructive prosecution. the immediate object of its inquiries; by con- l servative investigation of law and fact, and by refusal to issues incomplete and hence necessarily inaccurate reports Its policy be- ing thus one of open inquiry into, and not attack upon. business. the Bureau has been
 
 better still, the cooperation of men engaged in legitimate business.
 | The Bureau offers to the Congress the means of getting at the cost of production of our various great staples of commerce. | Of necessity the careful investigation of special corporations will afford the Com missioner knowledge of certain business | facts. the publication of which might be an improper Infringement of private rights. The method of making public the results of these investigations affords. under the law, | . means for the protection of private rights l The Congress will have all facts except such | as would give to another corporation infor- | nation which would injure the legitimate business of competitor and destroy the in- centive for individual superiority and thrift
 The Bureau has also made exhaustive ex- aminations into the legal condition under which corporate business Is carried on in the various States: into all Judicial deci- | sions on the subject; and into the various systems of corporate taxation in use. call special attention to the report of the chief of the Bureau; and earnestly ask that | the Congress carefully consider the report and recommendations of the Commissioner on this subject. .. The business of insurance vitaly affects the great mass of the people of the United States and Is national and not local in its | application It involves a multitude of transactions among the people of the differ | ent States and between American companies and foreign governments. I urge that the Congress carefully consider whether the power of the Bureau of Corporations can not constitutionally be extended to cover in- terstate transactions in Insurance.
 l Rebates.
 Above all else we must strive to keep the highways of commerce. open to all on 1 equal terms; and to do this 1t is necessary to put a complete stop to all rebates. Whether the shipper or the railroad is to blame makes no difference: the rebate must | be stopped. the abuses of the private car s7A private terminal-track and side-track sysreiss> -'.-t be stopped. and the legisla- ton of the Fi:,S =.shth Congress which de- eiares it 10 be unla - sr|s for any person or corporation to offer. grant. stve. solicit. ac- l cept or receive any rebate. secession. or l discrimination in respect of the tfsSSsporta- tion of any property in interstate or fS>sign commerce whereby such property shall y any device whatever be transported at less rate than named in the tariffs pub iished by the carrier must be enforced. For | some time after the enactment of the Act | to Regulate Commerce 1t remained a mooted question whether that act conferred upon 1 the Interstate Commerce Commission tho power. after 1t had found q challenged rate to be unreasonable. to- declare what here I after should. prima facie. be the reasonable | maximum rate for the transportation in dis pute. The Supreme Court finally resolved | that question in the negative, so that as the law stands the Commission simply possess the bare power to jenounce a par ticular rate as unreasonable. While I am of the opinion that at present 1t would be undesirable. if 1t were not impracticable, | finally to clothe the Commission with gen eral authority to fix railroad iates do believe that as a fair security to shippers. the Com mission should be vested witm the power. where a given rate has been chal- unreasonable to decide. subject to judicial l review. what shall be e reasonable rate to take it's place; the ruling of the Commission | to take effect immediately and to obtain unless and until it is reversed by the court | of review. The Government must in in- creasing degree supervise and eguate the | workings of the railways engaged In inter | state commerce: and such increased super vision Is the only alternative to an increase of the present evils on the one hand and a stlii more radical policy on the other In my judgment the most important legislative act now needed as regards the regulation of corporations Is this act to confer on the | Interstate Commerce Co omission the power | to revive rates ana regulations. the revised rate to at once so into effect. and to stay in Affect unless and until the court of | view reverses 1t.
 | Steamship companies engaged in inter 1 state commerce and protected in our coast | wise trade. should be held to a strict obs aervance of the interstate commerce act. | City of Washington | In pursuing the set plan to make the city of washington an example to other Ameri- can nun. .cipalites several points should be l L.nt tu y,,iud hv inc leRisIators Tn the