The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-03-14
HARRISBURG LETTER.
Special Correspondence.


cident of the session thus far was
the report of Creasy's antitrust bill
from the committee OH corpora
tions. 1t doesn't mean that the
measure will be enacted into law,
though that is possible, of course.
But it guarantees an open and
free discussion Of the subject and
may lead to an alignment Of the
forces in the General Assembly as
Between the corporations and the
people. There is no mistaking the
character of the bill 1t is literally
and effectively an antitrust mea-
ure. But it is not so drastic that
those who support it must be class
ed as calamity howlers.
The Greasy bill defines as trust
any combination of capital, skill
or acts, by two or more persons,
firms, partnerships, corporations or
associations of persons or of any
two or more of them" to "create or
carry out restrictions in trade or
commerce; limit or reduce the pro-
duction or increase or reduce the
price of merchandise or commodity;
prevent competition in manufacture
ing, making, transportation, sale or
purchase of merchandise, produce
of commodity, fix at any standard
or figure whereby its price to the
public or consumer shall be in any
manner controlled or established,
any article or commodity Of mer-
chandise, produce or commerce in
tended for sale, barter, use or con-
sumption in this State.
WHAT IS ACTUALLY PROHIBITED.
1t prohibits persons, firms, part
nerships, corporations or. associa-
tions from making, entering into,
executing or carrying out ANY
contracts, obligation or agreements
of any kind or description by which
they shall bind or have bound
themselves not to SELL dispose of or
transport any any article or any
commodity or any article of trade,
use merchandise, commerce, or con-
sumption below common standard
figure or fixed value or by which
they shall agree in any manner to
keep the price of such art Gle, COM
modify or transportation at a fixed
or graduated figure or by which
they shall in any manner establish
Or settle the price Of any article,
commodity or transportation be-
tween themselves and others so as
to directly or indirectly preclude
free and unrestricted competition
among themselves or any purchas-
ers or consumers in the sale or
transportation of any such article
or commodity or by which they
shall agree to pool, combine or di-
cectly unite any interests that they
nay have connected with the sale
n transportation of any such arti-
lie or commodity that its price
night in any manner be affected"
NOT A RADICAL. MEASURE.
There is nothing radical in those
provisions. They express precisely
md exactly the purposes and poll
sies which the Sherman anti-ti ust
Jaw professed and for which Presi-
lent Roosevelt has vociferously
contended for many years. The
Greasy bill is more specific than the
sherman law and less ambiguous
han the Presidents utterances
,long the same lines. But it stands
or nothing that isn't obviously
sair. We all know that it is crime
against public policy to do the
things which the measure forbids
and that doing them is inimical to
popular interests.
People do them, however, because
10 penalty attaches to the crime
md the injured public has no re.
iress The Greasy bill would cor
rect this fault in our system of jur-
tsprudence If it were enacted into
law and for that reason l don't be-
lieve that it will 60 so far. The
financial cormorants are getting
,ood because they are getting scar
"a. | noticed that Perkins has
paid back the money he stole from
he Equitable Insurance company
TO contribute to the Republican Ma
rional Committee and Rockefeller
IS contemplating some more vas,
benehcences. But these are only
sporodic exhibitions of piety. I,
won't be general until the average
pirate gets glimpses Of retributior
and though that may be soon it is
not yet" But the consideration O
the bill in the Legislature will serve
the purpose of separating the legis
Iative sheep from the goats and the
Democrats on the floor Of the House