Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-17

Of its laws, every paper or docum ent
filed or recorded concerning each cor
poration was examined separately and
all information relating to each corpo-
ration disclosed by the official records
has been collected and complied.
There have been thus far examined
and distracted the records of over
1900 corporations, which include the
larger part Of the more important in
dustrial and commercial corporations,
Joint stock companies and corporate
combinations in the United States.
AT the same time there has beer
collected the fullest possible informa-
ton concerning the various systems of
corporate taxation in use; whenever
possible there have been obtained
statements, reports or returns of the
more important corporations, and in
addition there has been obtained com.
plete list of the foreign corporations
admitted to do business in the paticu.
lar state, this record showing the
name, capital stock and home state Of
each corporation. This record fur.
nishes convenient clew to corpora
tons engaged in interstate commerce.
There is now ready for publication
a compilation of the federal and state
statutes dealing with illegal Industrial
combinatlons-the so-called ANTITRUST
laws. This will afford complete infor-
nation of such laws. showing in tabu.
lar aud condensed form, SO as to be
readily available and easily compare
Bile, their provisions, including the de-.
cisions Hereunder and digest and
discussion of cases involving the com.
mon-law principles as to combinations
in restraint of trade"
The report touches upon several
other subjects, among them being that
of fatal steamboat disasters and the
action taken by the government with
regard to the accident to the General
Slocum. Two paragraphs in the re-
port sum up the facts regarding this
disaster and the quick action Of the
department, under President Roose-
velt's orders. The report says,
THE number of lives lost from vari-
GUS causes during the fiscal year was
1903, the largest perhaps in the his
tory of the service, but the number of
accidents was fewer. On June 10.
1904, the passenger excursion steamer
General Slocu1n was burned In the har
Dor of New York, with loss of 957
lives. The appalling nature of this
disaster, together with certain feat
ures attendant thereon. called for i'm
mediate and special action by the de-
partment, and on June %, 1904, there
was appointed the United States COM
mission of investigation upon the dis.
aster to the General Slocum.
This investigation by the commits
sion revealed very unsatisfactory
condition of the steamboat inspection
service, in the port of New York and
resulted in the removal Of the super.
vising inspector for the second district
and the local board of inspectors for
the port of New York. The report Of
the commission found that the meth
DDS of inspection in the port of New
York and of the officials since re.
moved were largely responsible for
the disaster. The report also called
attention to number of defects and
recommends changes in existing stat.
utes and regulations relating to the
service. There is urgent need that the
laws relating to the service bestrength-
ened and improved in accordance with
the recommendations"