The farmer and mechanic., 1907-03-19
GOV, GLENN ON
THE LEGISLATURE
Anti Trust Bill And Its
Failing.
WISELY AND WELL
He Enumerates the Pledges tcdeefncd
and Gives His View Of an Antl-
Trust Law That VIII Iouch
All Who Agree 10 The
Injury OF Trade.

Governor Glenn was asked yester-
iav his opinion Of the work ol the
General Assembly Of 1907.
He REPLIED that the last Legislature
vas composed Of patriotic men, VINO
they saw it, andi he believed that when
al Of their acts are carefully con5ld-
cred that no Legislature that has as
scInbled in many years has come
nearer to keeping the pledges made
the people than this one.
They promised to care for thc~ih-
q:ne 10 reduce passenger ana freISht
rates, to enlarge the powers OIL the
Corporation Commission; to help the
old soldiers, to advance the cause OF
education and to pass an antitrust
law, and they have kept their pledge.
beside doing much that was very good,
to which they were not pledged
The Governor said that the anti
trust law. so much discussed, was IN
many respects q good one, and would
afford great protection. That he felt
that in failing to prevent unlawful
agreements to lower the price OF ar
ticlcs that the trusts desired TO buy,
that it did not give to the farmers the
protection that it should, but that af-
ter studying the bill carefully, he be-
IieVed, that re-enfOrced as it is by the
common law and the Holt Supple
mental BILL that all such violations OF
the law could be indicted, and that If
any such unlawful agreements should
be found to exist in the state, he hoped
il would be brought to his attention
and to the attention of the Solicitors
OF the various districts, to the end that
parties making such unlawful agree
Elents should be dealt with.
His idea, he said, Of an antitrust
Jaw was one, that would in no sense
irjure or cripple any person, business
or corporation carrying on icSih-
nate business, but at the same time
would reach every person or business
corporation unIaWfully making agree
ments to the injury of trade. That il
people acted legally, they would no
be hurt, and if they acted illegally
should be indicted. regardless of tnt
class to which they belong.
Being asked if he thought the rail
roads would fight the reduction o
freight and passenger rates, he sait
he hoped they would not. That NOrtf
Carolina legislation on this subject wa
nothing like as drastic as that paSSeC
by other States, and he believed th'
railroads should at least give it fai
trial before they objected to the rate
fixed. and if after giving it 4 fair trial
il was seen and could be shown, tha
they We're greatly injured, the peOpl'
of North Carolina are just, and WOult
give them relief: but that if the rail
roads went into the courts WithOu
giving it q fair trial, he would be com
PEELED to employ counsel and a lon;
suit would result, in which the ques
ton of salaries paid railroad official
and expenses of every description
would necessarily have to be gon
into. in order that the courts Nigh
truthfuly ascertain whether the rat
was reasonable for rates could not b
shown to be unjust, if the salaries an
expenses indulged in by the railroad
were unnecessary or eXOrbitant, there
by forcing them to charge the peOpl
higher rates. He therefore hoped tha
sound and better judgment would pre-
vail and that litigation would not b
resOrted to, as now threatened.
The Governor was very emphatic i
saying that Notwithstanding criticSr
both for and against the last Legis
lature, and though he differed wit
them in some things they did, still h
felt that time would demonstrate tn
fact that in the most of their acts the
had done wisely and Well ~