The San Francisco call., 1905-08-12
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD
SUPERVISE BIG CORPORATIONS S
Chief Executive Does Not Believe, How
ever, I'm Taking Steps Hastily
or RashIy.

Some great corporations resort to every
technical eXpedient TO render enforcement OF
the lay impossible and their obstructive tao
ties and refusal to aequesce in the policy or
the law have taxed to the utmost the ma
chlnery Of the Department Of Justice In my
Judgment Congress may well inquire whether it
Should not seek other means for carrying into
effect the law. 1 believe that all corporations
engaged in interstate commerce should be un-
der the supervision of the national Government.
1 do not believe in taking steps hastily or
rashly, and 1t may be that all that is neces-
terstate commerce bill conterr1ng upon some
branch of he executive government the power
connection with railway transportation But
in the end, and in my Judgment at a time not
very far off, snail have TO, or at least We
shall find that we ought TO, take further action
regards all corporations doing interstate
business. -aA
The enormous Increase in Interstate
trade, resulting from the Industrial de-
yeIopment of the last quarter of CEN
tury, makes ii proper that the Federal
Government should, so far as may be
necessary TO carry into effect its ma
tfonal policy, assume a degree of ad-
n,ipIsfratiye control of these great cor
poTatiOns.
1t may well he that we shall find that the
only effective way OF exercising this super
vision is to require all corporations engaged in
Interstate commerce to produce proof satisfac-
tory, say, to the Department or commerce,
that they are not parties TO any contract or
combination or engaged IN any iHOhupoiS III
Interstate trade in violation of the antitrust
law and that their conduct on certain other
specified points is proper; and. moreover. that
these corporations shall agree, with penalty
of forfeiture of their rignr TO engage in such
commerce. to furnish any evidence OF any kind
as to their trade between the states whenever
so required by the Department of Commerce
1t is the almost universal policy OF the sew
eral States provided by statute, that foreign
corporations may lawfully conduct business mes
within their boundaries only when they pro
duce certificates that they have complied with
the requirements of their respective states; In
other words, that corporations shall not ENJOY
the privileges and immunities afforded by the
state governments without first complying with
the policy Of their laws. NOW the peheI.s
which corporations engaged In interstate trade
enjoy under hesunited States Government are
incaIculable: and in respect OF such trade the
jurisdiction Of the Federal Government n Is eu-
preme when 1t chooses to exercise IT.
when, as is now the case, many OF
the great corporations consistently
strain the last resources OF legal tech
DicaIity to avoid obedience 10 law
for the reasonable regulation OF their
business, the only way enectiNeiy TO
meet this attitude on their part Is 10
give the executive department OF the
government a more direct and there
fore more efficient supervision anu con-
troll of their management.
In speaking against the abuses committed
by certain very wealthy corporations or lndl-
viduaIs and Of the necessity OF seeking; SO
5sas aqf O. - tte~a is always danger lest what is
said may be misinterpreted as an attack upon
men of means generally Now It cannot TOO
often be repeated in a repubhc IKE ours tnd'
tbe onIT yvav hy which it is possible perma-
nentlv TO benefit the condition of the less
able and less fortunate is so 70 shape our
nolicy thai all industrious and efnclent peopie
who act decently may be benefited; and this
means, of course, that the benefit Will come
even more to the more able and more lortun-
ate. If, under such circumstances, the iess
fortunate man is moved by envy of his more
fortunate brother to strike at the conditions
enually prospered he may rest assured that
while the result may be damaging to the
other man. II will be even more damaging 70
himself or course / am now speaking or
prosperity that comes under normal and proper
conditions