The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-03

the consent OF tne Interstate commerce
commission being first obtained. Urtil
the national government assumes
proper control of interstate commerce
In the exercise Of the authority 1t al
ready possesses, il will be impossible
etner 10 give to or to get from the
railroads full justice The railroads
and all other great corporations will
90 wei to recognize that this control
must come; the only question IS as TO
what governmental body can most
wisely exercise Il. The courts will de-
termine the limits within which the
federal authority can exercise it and
there will still remain ample work
within each state for the railway com
mission Of that state; and the national
interstate commerce commission will
work in harmony with the several state
commissions. each within its own prov
lnce, to achieve the desired end.
Control of Interstate
business Concerns Urged.
Moreover, IN my Judgment there should
be additional legislation looking to the
proper control OF the great business con
Germs engaged in interstate business, this
control 10 be exercised for their own
benefit and prosperity no less than for
the protection Of investors and OF the
general public. AS I have repeatedly
said in messages TO congress and else
where. experience has definitely shown
not merely the uawisdom but the futiiity
q endeavoring to put a stop 10 all busi-
ness combinations Modern industrial
conditions are such that combination Is
not only necessary but inevitable 1t is
50 ia the world Of business just az il is
50 in the world Of labor and it is as IDLE
10 desire to put an end TO all corpora
tons 70 all big combinations of capital,
- 70 desire 70 put an end to cOmbina-
fFEnq of labor (fOrTCrg Ia
union alike have come to stay. Each u
properly managed is a source Of good
and not evil Whenever in either there
IS evil, it should be promptly held to ac-
count; but 1t should receive hearty en-
couragement 50 long as it is properly
managed. It is profoundly immoral to
put or keep on the statute books a law
nominaliy IN the interest Of public moral
lty. that really puts q premium upon
public immortality by undertaking to
forbid honest men from doing what must
be done under modern business condi-
tons, so that the law itself provides that
its own infraction must be the condition
precedent upon business success. To aim
at the accomplishment of too much usQ-
ally means the accomplishment of too lit
tie, and often the doing Of positive dam
age
The antitrust law should not be re-
pealedi bat 1t should be made both more
efficient and more in harmony with act
ual conditions. It should be so amended
as TO forbid only the kind of combination
which does harm to the general public
such amendment to be accompanied by
or TO be an incident or, a grant Of su-
peEViSory power to the government over
these big corporations engaged in inter-
state business. This should be accom-
panied By provision for the compulsory
publication of accounts and the subjec-
ton OF books and papers to the inspec-
ton of the government officials. 4 be-
ginning has already been made for such
supervision by the establishment of the
bureau of corporations
The antitrust law should not prohibit
combinations that do no injustice TO the
public, sun less those the existence Of
which IS on the whole of benefit to the
public But even IL this feature of the
law were abolished. there would remain
rs an equally Objectionable feature the
difficulty and delay now incident to its
enforcement. The government must now
submit to irksome and repeated delays
before obtaining a final decision of the
courts upon proceedings instituted and
even a favorable decree may mean an
empty victory. Moreover, to attempt TO
control these corporations by lawsuits
means to impose upon both the depart
ment of justice and the courts an Inn
possible burden; 1T is not feasible to carry
on more than a limited number of such
suits. Such a law TO be really effective
must of course be administered by an
executive body and not merely by means
OF lawsuits. The design should be to
prevent the abuses incident to the crea-
ton of unhealthy and improper combina-
tions, instead of waiting until they are
in existence and then attempting to de-
stroy them by civil or criminal proceed
ings.