The Grit-advocate., 1905-12-08

The message of President Roose-
selt, read at the first session Of the
Fifty-nnth Congress, congratulates
the people on the continued prosper
ity OF the nation. The close relation
ship and mutual dependence upon
each other of capital and labor are
pointed out, and the message con-
unucs:
Corporations.
Yet, while not merely admitting. but in
sisting upon this. it is also true that
where there Is no governmental restraint
or supervision some of the exceptional
men use their energies not in ways that
are for the common good. but in ways
which tell against this common good
The fortunes amassed through corporate
organization are now so large and vest
such power In those that WELD them. as
to make it a matter of necessity to give
Wholesome effecti"e power Of supervis-
Ion over their corporate use. In order TO
insure a healthy social and industrial life,
every big corporation should be held re-
sponsble by. and be accountable to. some
sovereign strong enough to control its
conduct. am in no sense hostile to cor
porations. This is an age of combination.
and any effort to prevent all combina.
end vicious. because of the contempt for
law which the failure to enforce law in
recognize in cordial and ample fashion the
immense good effected by corporate
agencies in country suth as ours, aI1 and
ity devoted, to their service and there
fore normally to the service Of the public.
by their officers and dhectors; The cor
trade union has come to stay. Each can
90 90 and has done great good Each SHOULD I,i
each should be sharply checked where 1t
acts against law and Justice.
Tho President shows the impossi-
bility Of the individual states deal
ing successfully with corporation
greed, and the necessity of comforting
power upon the general government
even to the extent Of proper amend
ment to the constitution He says:
national laws on this subject have hither-
to been of negative or prohibtive rather
than an affirmative Kind. and still more
hibit What 1 Could not p"e be s, effesetvely pro- pro-
h!bited. and have in part in their pro.
allowed and what should not be allowed.
It is generally useless to try to prohibit
al restraint on competition, whether this
ssss sur.Iu ESsnts ss asS'sss ssss shows
a.nre the enforcement Of a.y 'aw q this
by ,ncsssant appeal to the courts:
1e department OF Justice has ior the
to the enforcement OF the antitrust legis-
Iation than to anything else. Much has
Rss been hs ect oi hs
ttons; but 1t is Increasingly evident that
there. will be very insufficient beneficial
result In the way Of economic change.
The successful prosecution Of one device
to evade the law Immediately ,de.elops
purpose. What is needed is not sweeping
Prohibition OF every arrangement, good or
bad. which may tend to restrict competi;
tfon. but such adequate supervision and
regulation as will prevent any restriction
OF competition from being to, the detri-
ment Of the public-,as we'll as, such
supervision and regulation will pre-,
vent other abuses in no way connected
with restriction of competition
The first consideration to be kept in
mind is that the power, should be affirm
ative and should be given to some ad-
ministrativo body created by the Congress.
II given to the present Interstate Com,
merce commission or to a reorganized
Interstate Commerce commission, such
administrative | do not believe in the
government interfering with private bust
ness more than is necessary. do, not
any work which can with propriety. be
left in private hands. But neither do l
overseeing an any work when 'ii it be becomes n
evident that abuses are sure to obtain
therein ., ,In unless there is governimental
indicate the exact terms of the law which
should be enacted; but call the attention
ditions with which it is desirable to deal.
In my judgment the most important pro-
vision which such law should contain
administrative body the power to decide.
upon the case being brought before it.
road is reasonable and lust, and If it is
found to be unreasonable and unjust,
then after full Investigation of the com
beyond which it shall not be lawful to go
the maximum reasonable rate. as it is
effect within a reasonable time and 10
obtain from thence onward, subject 10
review by the courts. 1t sometimes hap
high but that favored shipper is given
too low rate. In such case the commits
already established minimum rate rat as as
the maximum and it would need
only one or two such decisions
panies of the practice of giving improper
minimum rates. l call your attention to
the fact that my proposal is not to give
originate rates generally. but to regulate
rate already fixed or originated by the
CATION. A heavy penalty should be .ex-
acted from any corporation which fails
regard re his power to e establish a maximum
rate rs being essential to any scheme of
real reform ,,n Mn In the. the matter of railway
cure it; and unless it is granted to the
commission there is little use in touch
ing the subject at all.
Continuing. the President earnestly
disclaims any spirit of hostility to
the railroads, pointing out the bene-
fits to be derived by the fair-dealing
roads in the eyen-handed administra.
tion Of justice. In this both the hon
est railroad man and the honest ship,
per alike would be benefited. Ending
the subject, the President says:
The question OF transportation lies at
the root OF all industrial success, and the
revolution in transportation which has
- taken place during the last half century
has been the most important factor in the
growth of the new industrial conditions.
Most emphatica!ly we do not wish to see
the man of great talents refused the Ie-
ward for his talents. Still less do we wish
see the system of railroad transportation
SO handled that the strong man shall be
given no advantage over the weak man.
We wish to insure as fair treatment for
the small town as TO for A the big sbig city. for the
the .e old days the hishwsy Of commerce.
whether BY water or br : road on land.
was open 70 all; II beaongsd to the public
and The sssinS I. t.. .,ons r.. 4 Ts: free At
M Must DO our bez4 - ses that u . kept
s cd highway It q = nsvy tt4acult md
II QcpaeE tdnG 70 menaa[e. ana n. e far
s1sss NE ieosIs ss. : = ~ ~; g s,rn. e
sss.,e =. - 5ssstiss @ T. 90 IT ess.|s' q
~ y II n 5ss & ~ Sssss4 NY " .ssl ~