The Cairo bulletin., 1907-07-26
ny cHAs. @. DAWES SAYS lT Dis
cRiMiNATEs AGAINST BENEt
rlcIAL RESTRAINTS or
TRADE. S
BLIGHT UPON PROGRESS
Competition Runs Riot to Injury of
Small concerns--Law 10 Indefinite
and interruptions Men Take
Advantage--should Be
Amended.

Mr. Charles G. Dawes. of chicag u,
lspoke " "Ihe defects of the sherman
antitrust Ian IIe said III pars u
THE Sherman Antitrust Law Hid /.
~ criminal All agreements iii NJ
slfant of trade. whether they alas
Inherently criminal. or moi. II makes
lin these general terms something
terminal witlionS lnrther definition
Now his IL the day TN sha trade
agreement III the United stalea. WI
have national city, state and district
agreements Id restraint Of trade. ana
they are not agreements for tha nuf
pose always III extorting an anrea
sonablc price
The point | Wish t0 make III taat
there are two kinds Of agreements
in restraint of trade. those which apn
beneficial 70 the pn1Iis as we'll MI
hose which are lnigrians. All ageea.
aent Ia restraints off trade NOT III
sell below east ii moi III necessity
IA disadvantage and of injury tD
commAnity for certainly sa hava
heard gfnas deal recently abort
great institutions nnder-saIlIng for
period vi time lib certain localities.
ielllng helow est, for the purpose
eiushing OIL competition iii nrder
that they may later exercise Il nonone
oily and raise the price. Al great
many Of these agreements iii re.
Istralnt Of trade are for the purpose 1T
existence ftt of exfortinn, of Iesting
y reasonable amount pf competition
exist Under the laws of trade ana
commerce as VIZ have theus today
nompe ition n running riot Iii siiIs
country as We hear all over inc coun
try criticism of the kind III competis
tion that these great institutions an
giving same of the smaller lnsfitil.
ions OF This country. And vet any.
thing on the part of the small iii.
stittions designed to prevent that
sori Of crushing out competition which
y building up the true nagnop0lies IN
he United States is.as guilty under
he Sherman Antitrust Law iii as
ariminal as any other kind or an
agreement designed 10 extort from
md injnre the people OF The lTni III
states.
The Sherman Antitrust Law
makes criminal In these general
erms any agreement IN restraint II
rade in the United States Or with
oreign nations, Now, II Is indelinIte
It's description Of 4 crime, And
'eing indefinite in It's description II
he crime, the business community
5 IN doubt as to what Is criminal.
". when II Is In donbt al 10 what
criminal when the nature Of the
rhine Is NOT fixed In the minds OF
he b. siness community. the scrupii
Gus man refrains from action and the
Inscriptions man takes 1t with great
y impunity. The sr1unulous man
efrains from entering into any com.
ination or trade, however beneficial
may be to the public or however
necessary 1t may be 10 ais business,
or he d-es NOT desire 10 take any
tsks with the law The unscrup,i.
Gus man violates that Law with
-reater imrnity. for experience has
hown US that In this country aud
very ether country that any law
'hich makes equally criminal an in.
ocent act with a ilty act Is in
viiably difficult OF enforcement. The
esult is hat the Sherman Anti.Trust
aw today discriminates against pure.
T useful beneficial agreements in re.
iraint Of trade. and enc0uraees-
irectly encourages injurious agree
tents In restraint OF trade. II mil
Ites against the scrupulous business
ian. IL initiates against he snoi
ade agreement and in favor Of tho
1d' trade agreemeHss. u actually pats
premi m upon consolida ion eaf
lncentration np 10 a certain point
'r provided all compe ition Is ~
-srteyed il encourages the coasoii
iiin n Of competing corporations m
a certain point because thpy eal
legally then as a corporal on
trough that consoiidation-the can
z he substance Of a trade agree
ent by that me hod-thst whi>h
Guild be Illegal and criminal II don
separa = corporations under a trade
sreemeut. The very effect Of thai
" has been 70 sncnHraee the more
.pid crushing cut of cumre ffisn n
lis country
We do nor want these geuerIi
IS which cannot he enforced aaf
hich msiefacfors laush - and bon
e men IN business seaE. a. lfaT
ar any Law whica iuferfere= sra
ose acts eu their uan uhica n1y
u BE- harmful which may be rizt'-