The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-06

Guilty arose in great measure because
those who knew the circumstances
from having taken part in such agree
ments, refused, under their constitu-
tional Immunity, to give evidence
which might eliminate themselves.
Ihis called for legislation which re-
CURED witnesses to testify in legal
proceedings under such acts and
avoided the pleading of their consti-
tutional privileges by exemption from
prosecution. In order to prevent tog
great Immunity under such legislation
wnicn would defeat useful prosecu-
tions, an amending statute has been
deemed necessary and has been passed
ny the present congress-. Special acts
Ior appointment Of new prosecuting
omcers' and appropriating large
amounts to carry on the prosecutions.
nave been found necessary. Then the
question has arisen, can a corporation
plead constitutional privilege of de-
cnning to answer questions which
Iignt criminate the corporation by
showing Its books and papers? In the
prosecution of the Tobacco Trust. in
tne present administration, that cues
tion mas been answered by the supreme
court IN the negative, and this has
opened to the government a means of
compelling evidence which until the
recent decision was denied it.
Creation Of the Bureau Of Corporation.
Great Aid.
Again in 1903, under the first al.
minlstration of MIR. Roosevelt tho
bureau OF corporations, in the depart.
Hient or commerce and labor. was
created. 1t was directed and given
power to investigate the operations
OF corporations engaged in Interstate
trade other than railways. This hm-
reau, under its most active chief M
Garneld, has instituted inyestigatioms
wnlch have brought to the attentio,,
OF the department of justice the ex.
lstence of violations of the Interstate
commerce act and of the an;f-trust
act, which makes successful nrosecm.
lions probable.
Discrimination In Railway Rate. u,,.
effui lnstrument for SiaintaininE
Trusts.
we come now to the second class
or corporations l have referred to &C
having misused their great powers tn
promote oppression and Injustice tn
their unlawful course. One of the
largest elements going to make up the
selnng price of commodity in any
part OF the country is the cost of trans
portation from the place of mann
tacture. If one business concern can
secure lower rates of freight in the
transportation of its merchandise tn
ITS customers than another, the former
Will necessarily drive the latter ont
or business. This is exactly what has
happened. The largest concerns con-
tro!ilns enormous shipments and able
as between competing roads to deter
mine which shall enjoy the profit Of
the transportation, have induced and
sometimes coerced the railroad com
panies into giving them either secret
rates or open public rates, so deftly
arranged with view of the conditions
OF the larger concern as to make II i'm
possible for its would-be business com
petlt0rs to live. The rebate of very
small amount per hundredweight of
goods shipped by any one of the great
industrial corporations will pay en-
ormous dividends on the capital in
vested. There were other evils of
railroad management too numerous to
mention, but the chief of them can he
summed up in the words "unjust dis
elimination" OF course in dealing
with them, or at least the greatest ana
most important of them, which were
interstate lines, the juridictfon of tho
national government was complete.
Reform In Railway Regulation
NeeeBnary.
The necessity for reform in the