The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-23
TRUST PROBLEMS
 ARE DISCUSSED
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 be possible for the people to secure for themselves the benefits which come from cooperative activity, as manifested in corporations and by agreements between corporations, without in any way lessen ing the protection which all desire against the evils which have followed upon the creation of great corporations and upon agreements between them in restraint of trade. Continuing, the speaker said in part:
 We are here to try to shed light upon some of the most difficult economic and political problems of our time. We do not expect to solve them, but it is not too much to hope that we may contribute something toward their solution. One of the most benehcent results of the develop ment of the nineteenth century was the rapid growth of the corporation as an 1n- strument for carrying on industry and commerce. Experience has shown us, however, that we have not been entirely successful as yet in adjusting our public administration and our legal theory t) the situation which the multiplication and growth of corporations has brought about. Not only has there been, in far
 
 tween those who have sought govern mental privileges for the corporations which they serve and those who as gov ernmental officers were in position to in- fiuence the granting of such privileges, but corporations themselves, although the creatures of the state, have seemed tofbe in some ways beyond the power of the state to control and outside the reach of it's authority. Particularly is this true of those most important bodies which are known as public service corporations 1t will hardly be denied that the power which called the corporation into exist ence must, in self-defense and in order to sustain an equitable relation to every citizen, supervise and control the op- eratons of the public service corporation that the latter shall not infringe either on the powers of the state itself or on the rights and just privileges of any indi- Vidual citizen.
 Corporate Msmanagement.
 'We all know how much feeling, and what just feeling, has ben aroused in the United States by corporate mis- what just feeling, has been aroused ir language too strong of the usurpations of power and the larcenies of funds which have been committed by corporate officers. But let us not lose our heads. We are face to face with economic con- dltlOnS that are new, ana With economic abuses that, though manifold have grown up slowly and in the dark. There is ample power in our institutions in our constitution and our laws to check and to remedy theru all. There is now req son to believe that the Sherman anti trust law commits the nation to a policy which is too extreme, to a policy that, in putting an end to certain admitted evils, also puts an end to certain demonstrable
 .f lsaIf. t tlx..t tE. unduly exalts the principle of open com petition and fails to lay due emphasis upon the public benefits which may fol- low from properly regulated and super vised eo-operation The distinction be- tween combinations which are reasonable and may well be permitted and those which are unreasonable and must at ali hazards be forbidden, is one which ought not to be surrendered or overlooked. IL is a most important question, therefore. whether the time has not come when tnis act should be amended in order 10 -e- lieve. not corporations, but the people, from limitations upon their business ac- tivity which this act imposes, although in reality they are not necessary in the public interest. It is not combination it. self so much it is unfair discrimina- ton, which should arouse our criticism and our opposition.
 At the opening of the afternoon ses- sion, after the report of the committee on rules had been read and adopted John W. TomlInson of Birmingham. Ala.