Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-08

II
may be expected, constantly striving,
with varying success for that improve-l
ment we all desire to convince you
there is force at work in the right di-
rection, all the time making progress,
As the disposition with which / havel
come among you, asking your good
will and encouragement.
"trhe day has gone by when corpo.
ration can be handled successfully in
defiance of the public will, even though
that will be unreasonable and wrong.
A public may be led, but not driven, and
I prefer to go with 1T and shape or mod
lily In measure It's opinion rather than
be swept from my bearings, with loss to
myself and the interests in my charge.
violent prejudice exists toward cor
porate activity and capital today, much
of it founded in reason, more in appre-
hension, and large measure is due to
the personal traits of arbitrary, unrea-
sonable, incompetent and offensive
men in positions Of authority. The ac-
complishment of results by indirection,
the endeavor to thwart the intention il
not the expressed letter of the law (the
rights of others, disposition to with
hold what is due, to force by main
strength or inactivity result not JUS
titled, depending upon the weakness of
the claimant and his indisposition to
become involved in litigation, has Gre
n I, r,,l {,, lao
IRENE and disposition to consider any
thing fair that gives gain to the indi-
vidual at the expense of the company.
IF corporations are to continue to
do the worlds work. as they are best
fitted to, these qualities in their rep
resentatiyes that have resulted in the
present prejudice against them must
be relegated to the background. The
corporations must come out into the
open and see 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 salts
factorily 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 power.
Publicity and not secrecy will win
hereafter and laws be construed by
their intent and not by their letter;
otherwise public utilities will be own
ed and operated by the public which
created them, even though the service
be less efficient and the result less sat
isfactory from financial standpoint"
Bureau Of Corporations.
The bureau of corporations has made
careful preliminary investigation Of
many important corporations. 1t will
make a special report on the beef in
dustry.
The policy Of the bureau is to ac-
complish the purposes of it's creation
by cooperation, not antQgonism; by
making constructive legislation, not
destructive prosecution, the immediate
object of its inquiries; by conservative
investigation of law and fact and by
refusal to Issue .sincomplete and hence
necessarily inaccurate reports. Its pol
Icy being thus one Of open inquiry into
and not attack upon business, the bureau
has been able to gain not only the CON
fidence, but, better still, the co-operation,
OF men engaged in legitimate business.
The bureau offers to the congress the
means Of getting at the cost of pro
duction of our various great staples of
commerce.
OF necessity the careful investigation
of special corporations will afford the
commissioner 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 investiga-
tons affords under the law q means
for the protection Of private rights
The congress will have all facts ex.
cept such as would give to another
corporation information which would
injure the legitimate business of 9
competitor and destroy the incentive
for individual superiority and thrift.
The bureau hns also made exhaustive
examinations into the legal condition
under which corporate business is car
ried on in the various states, into all
judicial decisions on the subject nnd
into the various systems Of corporate
taxation in use. ! call special atten
ton to the report of the chief Of the
bureau. and l earnestly ask that The
congress carefully consider the report
and Recommendation Of the commits
i sioner on this subject.
Insurance.
] The business of insurance vitality af
fects the great mass of the people Of
the United States and is national anG
not local in its application. 1t involves
q multitude Of transactions among the
/ people Of the different states and be
tween American companies and foreign
governments. ] urge that the congress
carefully consider whether the power
1 Of the bureau of corporations canno
constitntionally be extended to cover
/ interstate transactions in insurance.
| Rebates.
| Above all else we must strive to keeJ
the highways of commerce open to al
on equal terms, and to do this it is nee