Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1906-12-06

tention. The exercise of judicial
spirit by dtsinterested body repre-
senting the federal government, such
as would be provided by a commission
on conciliation and arbitration. would
tend to create IN atmosphere of friend
illness and Cancellation between con-
tending parties
Control of Corporations.
1t cannot too often be repeated that
experience has cnnclusively shown the
tmpossibility of securing by the actions
Of nearly half hundred different state
legislatures anything but ineffective
chaos iii .hs' way of dealing with the
great corporations which do not oper-
ate eXclus ;vely within the limits of
any one state. In some method, wheth-
er 10y national license law or in other
fashion, we must exercise and that at
an early date !. fax more complete
control than at present over these great
corporations Il control that WILL among
other things prevent the evils of eN-
cessive decentralization and that Will
compel the disclosure by each big cor.
poration OF Its stockholders and of its
properties and business. whether own
ed directly or through subsidiary or
Affiliated corporations. This will tend
to put a stop TO the securing OF inor-
dinate profits by favored individuals at
the eN,nn>;c whether of the general
public. Tie stockholders or the wage
workers. Our effort should be not SO
much 10 prevent consolidation as such.
but SO to supervise and control it as
to sep that ii results in no harm to the
people.
Combination of capital, like combila-
tion %, ,or. is I, necessary element of
OUT present Industrial system. 1t is
not possible completely to prevent it,
and ii it were possible such complete
prevention would do damage to the
body polite. What we need is not
vainly TO try to prevent all coml)na-
| ton. bat to secure such rigorous and
adequate control and supervision OF
| the combinations, as TO prevent theii
injurim.. tle l,u lie or existing in sucl
| form as inevitably to threaten injury
has sccllre4i practically co.nllete con
troll OF Il necessary OF life would under
amy circumstances show that sIcl
combination was To he presumed to bt
adverse to the public interest. 1t i.
unfortunate lislt our present law.
should forbid all Combinations instcac
of SHARPLY discriminating between
those combinations which DO good an(
those combinations which do evil. Re
bates, for instance, arc as often due Il
the pressure of big shippers Gas wa
shown in the investigation OF th
Standard Oil company and as has beer
shown since by the investigation o
the tobacco and sugar trusts as to III
initiative OF big railroads. Often rail
roads would like to combine for th
purpose of preventing a big shippe
from maintaining improper advantage
at the expense of small shippers ant
Of the general public. Such IL combina
ton. instead OF being forbidden by law
should lie favored. In other words l
should 10 permitted to railroads Il
make agreements, provided these agree
ments were sanctioned by the inter
state commerce commission and wcr
published With these two condition
what harm such combination conl
do to the public at large.
Inheritance and Income lax.
The national government has Ion
derived its chief revenue from a tari
on imports and from an internal or eN
else tax In addition to these. there
every reason why. when next Our sy;
tenn Of taxation is revised, the nation;
government should impose a graduate
Inheritance tax and, If possible, II giaf
uated income tax.
am we'll aware that such 4 subieC
as this needs long and careful study
order that the people may become +;
miliar with what is proposed to y
done, may clearly see the necessity {
proceeding with wisdom and self II
straint and may make up their mind
iust how far they are willing to 50
the matter, while only trained leglsl.
tors can work out the project in nece
sary detail But feel that in the nca
future our national legislators shoul
enact law providing for a graduate
Inheritance tax by which Il steadily il
creasing rate of duty should be pI
upon all moneys or other valuable
coming by gift. beq,lest or devise
any individual or corporation. lhei
can be no question OF the ethical pr
priety OF the government thus dete
mining the conditions upon which a.!
gift or Inheritance should be received
AS the law now stands il is GAdoHD
edly difficult to devise national !
come tax which Shall be constitutions
But whether il is absolutely ilaRpss!.i
Is another question, and il! possible
is most certainly desirable The tI
purely income tax law WAS pa>sei
the congress in lsi;l. blt the lHpst II
portant law deal,ng with lhe s'bia
was that OF 1881. This The court ~
to be unconstitutional.
The question is undoubtedly very /
tricatc, delicate ard troublesome. III
decision of the court was only reach'
by one majority Ii is tie law Of y
land and OF course is accepted a> sE'
and loyalty o1ese;l by all good citizen
Nevertheless, tie hesitation evident
fel, b. the court IS a "lio.e in comm
to /. conclusion, when considered
gether with previous decisions on Il
Z subject. m:y perhaps indicate tlie pc
: sibility OF .,evisl,g 4 constitutional
come TAX l.w which shtil substantial
|, accomplish Tie results aimed 1T ~
: di.sr..ity of ;il:ieLfiilg the constitute
= is so great that only real necessity c;
Justify a resort thereto. Every eiiq