The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1906-12-08


spirit by a dlslnterested body repre-
senting the federal government. such
as would be provided by commission
on Cancellation and arbitration. would
tend 10 create an atmosphere OF friend.
illness and Cancellation between con,
tending parties.
Control of Corporations.
IL cannot too often be repeated thrt
experience has conelusIvely shown the
lmposslbilIty OF securing by the actions
OF nearly half a hundred different state
legislatures anything but ineffective
chaos In the way Of dealing with the
great corporations which do not oper-
ate exclusively within the limits OF
any one state. In some method, wheth-
or by a national license law or In other
fashion. we must exercise and that at
an early date, a far more complete
control than az present over these great
corporations a control that win. among
other things, prevent the evils OF ex-
eessive overcapitalization and that will
compel the disclosure by each big cor.
poration Of It's stockholders and OF It's
properties and business. whether own.
ed directly or through subsidiary or
affiliated corporations. This Will tend
TO put stop TO the securing OF inOr-
dlnate profits by favored individuals az
the expense whether Of the general
public the stockholders or the wage
workers. Our effort should be not so
much 20 prevent consolidation as such,
but so TO supervise and control IL as
10 see that Il results in no harm to the
people.
Combination OF capital, like comblna-
ton Of labor. Is a necessary element or
our present Industrial system. II is
not possible completely 10 prevent It.
and II II were possible such complete
prevention would do damage 10 the
body polite. What we need is not
vainly TO try to prevent all combina-
ton, but 70 secure such rigorous and
adequate control and supervision OF
the combinations az TO prevent their
inJuring the public or existing In such
form as inevitably 10 threaten injury.
for the mere fact that combination
has secured practically complete con-
troll OF necessary OF life would under
any circumstances show that such
combination was 10 be presumed TO be
adverse TO the public interest. IL IL
unfortunate that our present laws
should forbid all combinations instead
OF sharply discriminating between
those combinations which do good and
those combinations which do evil. Re
bates, for instance are as often due 90
the pressure OF big shippers (as was
shown In the investigation OF the
Standard OH company and as has been
shown since by the investigation OF
the tobacco and sugar trusts as 10 the
initiative OF big railroads. Often rail-
roads would like to combine for the
purpose OF preventing a big shipper
from maintaining improper advantages
at the expense OF small shippers and
OF the general public. Such combina-
ton, instead OF being forbidden by law,
should be favored. In other words, II
shouMhbe permitted 10 railroads TO
make agreements. provided these agree
ments were sanctioned by the inter
state commerce commission and were
published. With these two conditions
complied with II is impossible TO see
what harm such combination could
do 90 the public at large
Inheritance and Income Tax.
The national government has long
derived It's chief revenue from tariff
on imports and from an Internal or ex-
else tax In addition TO these, there is
every reason why. when next. our sys-
TEN or taxation Il revised. the national
government should impose a graduated
inheritance tax and II possible. grad
uated income tax.
l am well aware that such subject
as this needs long and careful study In
order that the people may become ia
millar with what Is proposed 60 be
done, may clearly see the necessity OF
proceeding with wisdom and self re-
stralnt and may make up their minds
Just how far they are willing to go in
the matter. while only trained iegisla-
tors can work ont the project In neces-
sary detail. But / feel that in the near
future our national legislators should
enact law providing for a graduated
Hll'Iiidh't AtA ny WilitH ekiAlllY lu-
creasing rate Of duty should be put
upon all moneys or other yaluables
coming by gift. bequest or devise 10
my individual or corporation. There
can be no question OF the ethical pro
priety of fhe government thus deter.
mining the conditions upon which any
gift or Inheritance should be received.
AS the law now stands IL IS undoubt.
edly difficult 20 devise national In
come tax which shall be constitutional
But whether IL Is absolutely impossible
Is another question. and II possible Il
Is most certainly desirable. The first
purely Income tax law was passed by
the congress In 1861. but the most Inn
pOrtant law dealing with the subject
was that OF 1894. This the court held
10 be unconstitutional
The question Is undoubtedly very In
tricatc. delicate and troublesome. The
decision Of the court was only reached
by one majority II IL the law OF the
land and OF course is accepted as such
and Loyalty obeycd by all good citizens