The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-12-04

DO 70 framed ns TO give 70 tbe inter-
state Commerce Commission power Ia
pass upon the future issnc II securities,
while ample means should be provided
To enable the Commission. whenever In
| iis Judgment II IL necessary, 10 make a
physical valuation Of any railroad. AZ
| / stated III my Message 70 the Congress-
| q year ago, railroads should be given
power 10 enter into agreements. sub.
Iect 10 these agreements being made
public IN minute detail and 10 the ron.
sent OF the Interstate Commerce Com.
mission being first obtained Until tho
National Government assumes proper
control Of interstate commerce. In the
exercise Of the authority II already pos.
sesscs, II will DO impossible either 10
give 10 or To yet from The railroads full
Justice, The railroads and all other
great corporations viii do we'll 10 rc-
Icognlze that this control must come, the
only question IL a. 10 what government.
FOL body can most wisely exercise II.
The courts will determine The limits with.
Ia which the Federal authority can OK.
crcise II, and there win stili remain
ample work within each State for the
railway commission OF that State; and
the National Interstate Commerce Com.
mission will work In harmony with the
several State commissions. each within
its own province, TO achieve the dssired
ond.
Sherman Antitrust.
Moreover, In my Judgment there should
be additional legislation looking TO the
proper control Of tho great business con.
Germs engaged In interstate business,
this control TO be exercised for tneir
own benefit and prosperity no less than
for the protection OF investors and Of
the general public. Al I have repeated,
ly said In Messages 10 the Congress
and elsewhere, experience has definitely
shown not merely tho unwisdom but
tho futility Of cndcayoring 10 put d stop
TO all business combinations. Modern
Industrial conditions are such that com.
blnation u not only necessary but In.
eyitable, II IL 40 In the world Of bdsi,
ness Just as " IL 20 In the world Of lab.
or, and Il u as Idle TO desire TO put m
end 10 all corporations. to all big com
blnatlons OF capital, as to desire To put
an end 10 combinations OF labor. Cor.
poration and labor union alike have
come 10 stay. Each II properly man.
aged II a source of good and not evil. |
Whenever la either there 10 evil. itl
should DO promptly held TO account; but |
u should receive hearty encouragement |
10 long as 1t is properly managed. II |
ls profoundly immoral 10 put or keep
on the statue books d law. nominaliy |
IN the interest OF public morality. that
really puts q premium upon public i'm.
by undertaking to forbid hon
ut men from doing what must bc done
Under modern business conditions. 90
hat the law itself provides that II.
,wn infraction must be the condition
precedent upon business success. To aim
II the accomplishment Of too much ms.
ially means the accomplishment OF too
little. and often the doing Of positive
iamage, In my Message 10 the Con.
,iNss year ago, In speaking Of the
inti-trust laws, | said;
"rhe actual working OF our laws
las shown that the effort TO prohibit
II combination. good or bad, Is noxi.
'ns whore II IA not ineffective. Com.
,ination Of capital. like combination Of
ahor, Ia necessary element In our pre-.
cnt industrial system. II is not pos.
tble completely TO prevent It; and II
were possible. such complete preyen.
ion would do damage 10 the body poll.
ic. What we need Ia not yainly TO try
o prevent all combination, but TO SO. L
ure rigorous and adequate control and
uperyision Of the combinations as to
'revent their lTjuring the public. OF ex.
sting In such forms as Inevitably to
hreaten injury. II Ii unfortunatel |,
hat our present laws should forbid all
instead OF sharply dis.
between those combinations
which do good and those combinations
which do evil. sss Often railroads
would like TO combine for the purpose OF
'revcnting big shipper from maintain.
ng improper advantages at the expense
4 small shippers and Of the general
'ublic. Such combination, instead ot
'eing forbidden by aw, should be fay.
'rnd. - II IL q public evil 10 have on
he statue books law incapable OF
nll enforcement, because both Judges
nd iuries realize that its full enforce.
nent would destroy the business OF the
ountry; for the result IL TO make de.
eht men yi0lators Of the law against
heir viii, and to put a premium on the
ehayior Of the willful wrongdocrs,
'uch result In turn tends to throw
he decent man and the willful wrong |,
DER into close association. and in the
nd to drag down the former to The
alters level, for the man who becomes
lawbreakcr In one way unhappily
ends to lose all respect for law and to
q willing TO break II In many ways
10 more scathing condemnation could
9 visited upon q law than Is contained
1 the words Of the. Interstate Commerce
commission when.. in, commenting upon
he fact that tho numerous Joint traffic
ssociations do technically violate the
NV, they say: The decision of the
Initcd States Supreme Court in the
rams. Missouri case and the Joint
'raillc Association case has produced no
tactical effect upon the railway opera
ions Of the country. Such associations,
4 fact, exist now as they did before
hese decisions, and with the same gen.
raj effect. In justice to all parties, we
ught probably to add that II Is diff.
ult to see how our interstate railways
ould be operated with due regard toll
49,. a. I.