New-York tribune., 1905-12-18

Justice; hence it was not proper that the bureau
embarrass the Densrtment ne of mIstIce in .ts ac
ton relating to combination or other violation or
2 OIL AND STEEL NDUsTRIEs-Ths House
o. o. Representatives passed two other resolutions
directing INQUIRIES into the oil and steel industries
On both OF these subjects the bureau had already
up immeGiafeiy IN addition nn4 to the general work
the special lines indicated by the RESOLUTIONS
special report on the oil industry will shortly be
& OTHER INDUSTRIES Investigations of the
sugar. tobacco coal and lumber industries ara In
ance laws has been finished, aad some special
phases of the question of federal supervision havo
been examined but in view Of the decisions Of the
Supreme Court have not felt warranted In trying
for the purpose of Investigation. The fact that
state supervision has failed to prevent eIeas da
not of Itself Justify federal action; 1t must pc oe
regulation under the commerce clause of the Con-
stituton; second. that federal supervision would be
and prevent future and third that such So,
70 poHcyhoiders, but would relieve them, through
their companies of the great and unnecessary ex-
BY dfferent ntG states seemingy the most eectivs
way to settle the question is for Congress S to SO
pnity to present to the Supreme Court t6e eufS @
terstate commerce. and hence subject to federal
regulation.
POSITION OF BUREAU.
The position of the bureau at the time of its
creation was UNIQUE 1t owed its existence largely
developments Public opinion thereon was vigorous,
but confused and vague. In general, the tremen-
use In many instances Of improper industrial meth
nd eGS OF CO and 6a9 cn1ce 9a
porafio6s e @ led to the geners beior that there had
sn ions not d adequateiy met By Existing laws No So
acceptance nor had the problem Itself been clearly
stated. Numerous experiments at solution had
mitted futihIy OF most Of these laws led only to
way to treat the great Industrial changes Of which
every one was cogn1zant. =, tt.
opinion was fairly clear and qnS1im0gs and that
clearly understood TO- what use this infornatiG9
oo1er but 1 the demand FOR
was Fundamentally sound. The policy Of the bu-
mand: It's field may be diyided INTO subjects re
lating to economi6 Industrial facts on the other.
It must examine and compare the statutes under
Industrial and statistical facts.
statute is the formal expression Of public opinion.
Hence statutes designed to improve Industrial con-
ditons will not be based upon sound economic prin
the result OF an accurate knowledge Of Industrial
Not only is legislation dependent upon public
opinion. but likewise moral standards in business
which cannot be enforced by statute, are created
ad sa8s gFx By RHS 9g4 }bs gsn5
formative force M Of public opinion without the in;
be ohsnged in accordance with public opinion
Heretofore the wide scope OF corporate operations
laws have made an Intelligent public opiHion I'M
possible The average man can can easily judge OF an
and his neighbor but he utterly lacks the sta tistica
and legal information necessary to view justly the
operations of the great corporations doing business
CoIPGEx INDUSTRIAL. CoNDrrIoNs-1ndus-
ts4 S G9pditions are extremely complex w faTreaGh
To form an Intelligent opinion of permanent indus
trial tendencies it Is necessary not only to know
lions. but eapeoiay to be able to arrange these
fa9tS in their proper relation Many mistakes Of
arate the essential from the non-essenta. to give
iatton has been enacted which is futile and often
harmful because directed either at the modification
by statute, or at the treatment of sporadic and
and limited individual experience have been the
bases OF action. rather than broad and final
clusions based upon accurate, properly arranged
The bureau therefore, @ has sadsaxGred not only
suf1clent In number TO be representative but also
tendencies rather than Individual Instances To this
end IT has. with force Of carefully trained en-
portant staples and collected statistics and
SO as to obtain what might be caed reiiabie gem
eral averages, and has endeavoreT to deduce from
them conclusions as to permanent corporate meth
It is strongly felt that preventive rather than
remedial means must be used in dealing with the
entire problem The government must deal before
effects. In order to ascertain proper methods of
dustrial evils. The work of the bureau has brought
out to an extent not reached before, the actual
of competition. Of economies in production and dis
tr1but1on or determinations in distribution and
transportation; and also the results Of such m0h-
DDS in obtaining tending to obtain monopoIistio
great aaa IN ins ef 6e oe
now under investigation. the fact that the predom-
based usually upon one or two, very few,
single factors such as the control of transporta-
tion, of trade marks OF patent rights. of raw
teriaL special legislation or combination Of one
Such Information will afford the basis for an in
iicity'' Of that will be efcient in correcting
principle has already been obtained in numerous
methods have Informed the bureau that the mere
investigation Of these facts has led to discon
bureau that from their Individual standpoint
great good has already resulted to them from the
The years work upon the investigation OF special
strengthened my conviction that no permanent
remedy for existing Industrial evils be expected
until Congress exercises more fully its power Of
affirmative action under the commerce clause OF
the Constitution. No fact OF industry is more OBJ
vious than that modern business has outgrown and
wholly disregards State lines and that the iuris-
lions Of ai great nfersfate BUSINESS are futile and
even harmful. A close study OF the methods Of
trial corporations their relation to Transportation
companies, both rail- and water their hods OF
throughout many States. and the sale OF their
commodities throughout the world proves that
they have actually gone beyond the possibility or
proper supervision control by the single Sttte
0n 10 saYe b the eo8a aone IS
sufficient reason for bringing them under federal
RAILROAD ADVANTAGES TO SHIPPERS
II is idle 10 claim that the railroads wholly at
fault for rebates determinations and other devices
for affordng to one shipper improper advantages
abuses by purely penal legislation This does not
ns 3 tIaa b tIe 1a Geitnt f g. % .he yt law
until recently was wholly lacking But so far as
change conditions