The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-12-12
c. S. Funk. Head of Great Har-
yester Co., Demands Federal
Regulation Of Trusts
STATE REGULATION A MENACE
Head OF Great Manufacturing Combine
Speaking Before Mems League of
congregational Church Tells of
Remedy for Trust Evil

given at the meeting of the Mems
League OF the First Congre gational
church on Tuesday evening, when
G. 5. Funk. of Chicago, Gener al Man
ager of the International Harvester
Co., was the guest of honor Of the
League, and who made strong plea
for federal regulation of the great
trusts and combiaes, Mr.. Funk said
ia part:
"The American people are fair
minded. They believe absolutely in
President Roosevelt's square deal and
would be quick to resent any charge
of unfairness in passing Judgment on
information supplied only by one
side. This is what they have zone
and are doing on the trust question,
and think the so. called trusts them
selves are not blameless in this re-
gard. Very serious charges have
been made and repeated with increas-
ing vehemence, and when no explana-
ton or defense is attempted, the peo-
pie are PROBABLY justified in assuming
that none is possible.
"That there are and have been gross
abuses in corporate affairs there can
be no question, and there can be no
greater menace to our country than a
greedy, defiant thing, created by the
law, bruta1ly Indifferent to the well
fare of the public and impervious to
public sentiment, which cannot be
hanged nor jailed and with no ''body
to be kicked or soul to be damned"
fears neither God, man nor the devil.
But it is unfair for the people to as
sumo that all great corporations are
bad and that there is no good in them.
Dishonesty IN one bank does not prove
that all bankers are dishonest. A
scandal in church does not condemn
religion, and walking delegate, who
is CRATER, need not condemn labor
unions, which, by the way, are also
"Trusts and Combines" President
Roosevelt has repeatedly shown the
necessity of discriminating between
good and bad corporations, and this is
the prime requisite in the considera-
ton of such subject.
IF we come now to the conclusion
that corporations are here to stay and
that properly regulated and con-
trolled they are one of the greatest
factors of our national life, we may
discuss briefly way and means of
their control.
No honest and right-minded corpor-
Al r11- cn ~ 30
regulations and this regulation eau
only be made effective under. the
power of the national government.
It is useless for the different states to
think that by passing scores of patch
work laws, many of them conflicting
IN their nature, and which, taken in
the aggregate, could never be obeyed
by any great corporation doing bust
ness anywhere, they can furnish
solution of this question and the only
results of such efforts will be to
penalize and harass corporations,
which would like to obey their laws if
it could, and work gross il Justice at
will, and these things will IL happen
as long as state officials are either
venal or ambitious for political
preferment. The attorney general
who wants to be governor or the
governor who wants to be senator or
president can always attract attention
and acclaim by taking the warpath
against the trusts, and, in the present
state of public opinion, it is a poor
lawyer and poor law which cannot
at some stage of a proceeding score
victory over trust.
''In the nature of the case this is
the problem of the federal govern
ment and not thirty-fve or forty legal
problems to be worked out by each
state at its will. No question was
ever settled rightly by hearing only
one side of it or by action taken in
the heat of prejudice and resentment,
but the people must continue to
think about these things and insist on
fair dealing. On the other hand, the
corporations must realize that they
are creatures Of the law and shall
render full account of their steward
ship-that it is to their best interes SITS
to be frank and straightforward in
their dealings with the public. Cor
poratlon managers must realize the
good policy as we'll as good morals Of
square deal and must ever remem-
Der that with ali our swiftness we
have not outgrown the fact that
honesty is the best policy
Zone of the most hopeful signs of
our times. is that the type Of ''the pub
lie be damned" corporation man is
rapidly being replaced by men of
broader view and better moral fiber.
Great corporations are rapidly learn
ing the wisdom of clean methods and
are also learning that the corpora
lions which. are willing to obey the
law, who do not object to publicity re-
gard1ng their affairs which are of con-
Germ to the public, not seeking special
privileges or favors and, in short, are
conducting themselves as good citi-
zens should, have nothing to fear.
We have still to go through not little
OF political agitation, legal conflicts,
state Jealousies and public hostility.