Middletown transcript., 1907-06-15

Just in this connection there was pre-
sented to the President by Francis B.
Loomis this week new scheme for the
regulation OF trusts that on the face of it
looks pretty promising. The scheme was
in the form of an amendment to the
Sherman Anti Trust law, and is the work
OF John R. DosPasos, a constitutional and
corporation lawyer of New York. Mr..
DosPasos beside being lawyer of exper-
fence, has promoted and formed several
trusts, himself, and therefore should be
in touch with the practical side of the
business. In his letter to the President
he starts out with the proposition ad-
vanced some time ago by the President
himself that there were good and bad
trusts, and that the former should not be
harmed while the latter ought to be cor
rected. The law that he proposes declares
illegal and criminal any trust or combi-
nation in restraint of trade that is HARM
full or oppressive to the manufacturers or
the consumers. The question whether q
trust is harmful or oppressive is left en-.
tirely to the Judgment of court and jury
in each individual case. Thus there is no
wholesale condemnation of trusts, and one
that cheapens goods and better production
and distribution by combination is let
alone so long as it "plays the game" and
does not become an extortionate monop.
oily. This is just the thing that the Presi.
dent has been trying to make plain in bis
many messages and speeches. The pro.
posed law allows the District Attorney to
initiate proceedings as usual against any
trust that he thinks needs action against
| it, but there is the additional safeguard
that in case the District attorney fails OF
refuses to prosecute, suit can be entered
by any private citizen through his at.
torney. This is considerable departure
from precedent. OF course any man can
bring a suit against any individual or cor
poration if be can allege personal injury,
but he cannot institute such suit pro
bono publico. The amended law would
make it possible for any citizen or combi-
nation of them to institute suit If the
District Attorney, plainly speaking, were
crooked and refused to prosecute. The
President was much interested in the
plan, and it will be turned over to the
Attorney General for consideration.
Whether it will form one of the recon-
mendations in the next Congressional
message cannot of course be said. But at
present Congress is not in session, and as
one of the members of the cabinet said
when the matter was broached to him,
what the country is after now is not 80
much new legislation as the enforcement
of the legislation that is already on the
statute books.
NJ
The President has always taken great
interest in rife shooting, and it is perhaps
only natural that he has become life
member OF the National Rife Association.
The aim of this Association is to promote
practice with service rifle among civilians
who do not want to go into the National
Guard. Under rules recently issued by
the War Department, any twenty men
can form rifle club and buy service rifles
and ammunition from the government
and be given the privilege OF the nearest
government or national guard rifle range,
that is of course, If they have not range
of their own. The President has been
conferring with Gen. Drain, the president
of the Association, and be hopes to get
authority from the coming congress to
issue rifles of this sort free of charge TO any
rifle clubs affiliated with the National As
sociation. It is believed In this way that
the average of Workmanship among civil
ians can be greatly raised and If the time
comes when we are confronted with
J another war, the volunteers will be iamli.
lar with the use Of the service rife before
/ they are enlisted.