The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-03
MONOPOLY DENOUNCED.
No Combination Should Be Permitted TO
Corner Necessities OF Lie.

Sorner NeSessitIes Of LIE,
The antitrust law should not prohibit
combinations that do no injustice TO
the public still less those the existence
of which H.. on the whole. OF benefit to
the public But even II this feature
Of the law were abolished there would
remain rs an equally Objectionable foa.
ture the difficulty and delay now Incl.
dent TO Its enforcement The govern.
mcnt must now submit TO irl,somc and
repeated delay before obtaining final
decision of the courts upon proceedings
Instituted. and even n favorable decree
may mean an empty victory. More.
over. 10 attempt to control these cor.
poratlons by lawsuits means to impose
upon both the department OF Justice
and the courts an impossible burden II
Is not feasible To carry on more than
limited number Of such suits. Such
law TO be really effective must Of
course be administered by an executive
body and not merely by means Of law
suits. The design should be to pre-
vent the abuses incident to the creation
OF unhealthy and improper combna.
tlons instead OF waiting until they are
In existence and then attempting to de.
stroy them by civil or criminal pro-
ceedlngs.
A combination should not be toer
nted II It abuse the power acquired by
combination to the public detrlmcnt
No corporation or association of any
kind should be permitted to engage in
foreign or interstate commerce that Is
formed for the purpose OF or whose
operations create n monopoly or geuer-
al control OF the production. sale or
distribution Of any one or more Of the
prime necessities Of life or articles Of
general use and necessity Such com
blnationS Sareagalnstpublicpo policy. They
violate the common law; the doors
OF the courts are closed To those who
are parties 10 them, and | believe the
congress can close the channels of IN
terstate commerce against them for its
protection The law should make It's
prohibitions and permlssons as clear
and definite as possible, leaving the
least possible room for arbitrary action
or allegation Of such action on the part
of the executive or of divergent inter.
prctations 10y the courts, Among the
points TO be aimed Ht should be the
prohibition OF unhealthy competition.
such as by rendering service AT an nc.
tual loss for the purpose OF crushing
out competition. the prevention Of In
fatlon of capital and the prohibition
OF corporations making exclusive
trade with itself condition OF having
any trade with itself. Reasonable
agreements between or combinations
OF corporations should hc permitted.
provided they are first submitted to
and approved by some appropriate gov.
ernmcnt body
The congress has the power 10 char.
ter corporations To engage In Interstate
and foreign commerce, ana general
law can hc enacted under the pro-
visions Of which existing corporations
could take out federal charters ana
new federal corporations could be Gre
atcd. As essential provision Of such q
law should be- Il method Of pr"le'cr-
mining by some federal board or coA-
mission whether the applicant FOR u
federal charter was m association or
combination within the restrictions of
the federal law. Provision should Ulso
bc made for complete Publicity In an
matters affecting thc public and com.
plCic protection to the investing puNliu
and the shareholders iu tho matter uf
issuing corporate securities. If an in
corporation law is not deemed adyisa-
bic license act for big interstate cor
poratlous might be enacted or n com.
biuItlon Of the two might he tried.
The supery lsion established might he
analogous to that now exercised over
national banks. At least the antitrust
act should be supplemented by specific
prohibitions OF the methods which cX-
perlcnce has shown have been Of most
service In enabling mouopollstlc com
blnations to crush out competition.
The real owners of corporation
should be compelled to do business In
their own name. The right to hold
stock in other corporations should here
after be denied 10 interstate corpora
tions unless on approval by the proper
government officials. and a prerequisite
to such approval should be the lasting
with the government OF all owners and
stockholders, both by the corporation
owning such stock and by the corpora
tion In which such stock Is owned.
To confer upon the national govern
ment in connection with the amend
ment ! advocate In the antitrust law.
power Of supervision over big business
concerns engaged In interstate com
merce would benefit them ms II has
benefited the national banks. In the
recent business crisis It Is noteworthy