New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-10-23
NATION VERSUS STATE.
Caief Topic Debated at Ciiuic FEEDER
atoms Trust Conference.

chicago. Oct 22.-The trust conference OF the
National Civic Federation which is to continue for
four days. opened here to-day. About four hundred
deIogates present, representing fortv-two
s:s:es and approximately eighty organizations or q
mercantile. civic municipal character Preside1.
Nicholas Murray Butler OF Columbia University
president OF the federation. called the conven-
;Ioa oE1cT. lie suggested his opening address
fhst the Sherman antitrust law commits the ma
iion TO policy which is too extreme, and that the
Lrae may have come when the act should be
amended Ia way . relieve OF the limit atons
business activity which i. imposes He said
Ihe purpose OF such an amendment would not be
- much 10 relieve the corporations as the people
themselves. He suggested that il might thus ha
possible for the people TO obtain for themselves the
oeneilts "Ach come from cooperative activity as
manifested in corporations and by agreements be-
tween corporations, without in any way lesseninE
the protection which all desire against The evils
which have followed upon the creation of great
corporations and upon agreements between them
IN restraint Of trade" He continued:
Il viii hardly be denied that the mower which
called the corporation into existence must in SELF
defence and IN order TO sustain an eoutabie rsit-
non 10 every citizen so supervise and control me
operations u the public service corpora:jon mai
the latter shall not infringe either on the movers
:eges % any Individual CITIZEN. The problem Of
ciealLs ara qeNeloplng public service corpora
problem, always and everywhere present in onr
who only Intelligent buf unrirbtt Hb
are not only efficient. but honest 1t is not com
hlIation and c0-o1eratio1 that are n he fearo5
ard antagonized. but only monopoly and discTim-
Problems Of grave Importance not only legal but
loIlucal N The highest sense. arise when We at
government shall control and supervise public
seFllse corporations Above all else. unless We
propose 10 wreck the whole economic basis on
when, our prosperity and our happiness rest. We
not disturb that faith or cadence wi G c;i IS
lied man has in his fellows. and upon which rests
Destroy that and. there win not be many public
service or other corporations left to regulate for
some tine 70 come.
Wade II. Ellis Attorney General Of Ohio. spoke
on Present Principles Enunciated by the New
Organization OF Attorneys General He said in
part:
ct US be done with all rivalry between state and
federal Jurisdiction Let indulge no tmid fears
nfnt and revive no bugaboos of a past generation
70 tighten the souls OF the unwary- The trust
Whether We VIII OF not, it has become a national
oruni The effort should be rather 10 seek teO one
ffectual remedy than 10 emphasize a conflict be
tween many.
A. T Ankeny, Of Minneapolis. read a paper on
Does the Power 10 Regulate Rates in Transpor-
rstion Of Commerce Rest with Congress or the
Stste?' He expressed the opinion that if the
United States Supreme Court eventually shall rule
That the state legislatures in some instances have
exceeded their rights in their efforts regulate
railroads and fix rates. likely that old
viii restored.
John W Tominson. Of Birmingham Ala. speak
ing the question Shall Federal Jurisdiction BE
Extended in Solution of the Trust Problem?' said,
IN part:
The answer 10 the above question viii generally
re n ne airTaIiVe but in most instances with
their institutions and government, will not favor
Jurisdiction, but viii demand the retention and
,eSlon OF both 5urlsalcflons 70 the END mat those
nes of legitimate business, and when engaged in
property invested at fair valuation
Theodore Marburg. of Baltimore spoke on
Governmental Regulation saying, among other
things:
B I5mp69yga com m 'a has caused industry
9 " 6 50oT b t9t fa asy Gan pc CONTROLLED
state governmerts Model INCORPORATION laws in
he few states in which they exist serve only TO
charter Immediately privileges them to operate in
fyeT I state Including the home state It is only
% corporations which TAIL TO conform 10 definite
solved.
The committee on rules recommended the ap-
pointment Of the following permanent officers;
President. Nicholas Murray Butler. New York;
vice-presidents, Samuel Gompers. New York; y. J.
Batchelder, New Hampshire; D. B. Forgan. Hi
nois; c. p. Walbr3dge. Missouri D. a. Tompkins.
North Carolina George Langford, Oregon: Brooks
Adams. Massachusetts; secretary, J. B. Reynolds;
assistant secretary, Il. H. Smith Michigan.
Seth Low, of New York delivered the opening
''IeSb AZ me evening session or the conference.
which followed permanent organization. He made
plea for the passage OF law which would permit
combinations between railroads. after the terms of
1neir proposed agreement had been submitted to
Tho Interstate Commerce Commission and had been
approved by that body. He believes that such
agreements, if perfectly understood by the public
~ the time Of maldng-rnade with the authority
OF the public and subject 10 revision by the same
authority in case Of need-may reasonably he e1-
pected 10 work in the public interest lie added:
Ire large corporation has demonstrated its eff
cheney and its economy too strongly leave any
room for doubt that in country like ours, if
the people are TO be well served. there must be
large combinations in the transportation service
IS elsewhere The problem IS how to secure the
heneht Of such combinations without suffering the
wis which they also capable of developing
Tie only answer THAT has been suggested, outside
~ government ownership and operation. is gov
FrnIncntal control. and that control ought TO be
50 devised both TO permit and 10 encourage
combinations and joint agreements between rail-
roads whenever these are in the public interest.
PAUL MACCoRMAC'S WILL FILED.