The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-09-29
JOURNEY|NG IN
LAND OF DREAMS
-------------------------
lmpractleable Democratic PROPOSE
tion for Trust Control.
l.,.,
Convincing Exposition Of Fallaey Of
Bryan's Panaosa for Solving
Problems OF Modern
Business.

proposed for the trusts, we find our
selves journeying In land OF dreams
Again the magician OF 1906 waves hl,
wand. AT stroke difficulties dlsap
pear and the complex problems OF mod
ern business are forgotten In the fas
cination Of the simple panacea. And
as the free coinage Of silver In the
ratio Of 10 to was to destroy the
curse of gold, so the new found specific
Of equal perfection Ia to remove the
curse OF Industrial oppression. The de-
lusion OF 1908 Is comparable only to
that Of twelve years ago.
The first suggestion Is that the law
should prevent duplication Of di.
rectors among competing corporations,
However advisable 1t may be to have
independent directorates Of competing
corporations, II would seem still more
important to have independent stock.
holders, for majority Of the stock.
holders Of corporation choose the d.
rectors. II law were passed pre-
venting the duplication Of directors II
would easily be evaded In the selection
Of men who would represent the same
interests. The most ordinary exper.
ience shows that II Is not necessary 10
serve on board Of directors In order
to control its proceedings. Whatever
the advantage Of such law as Is pro.
posed, 1t hardly rises to the dignity Of
a remedy" or vindicates Its title 10
place In an imposing scheme o. reform
outlined In a national platform
But the more important proposal Is
that any manufacturing or trading
corporation engaged In interstate com
merce shall be required to take out
federal license before 1t shall be per.
mitted to control as much as 25 per
cent Of the product In which II deals"
A license is permission, and the object
OF the remedy is not to regulate large
businesses. but to destroy trusts. Hence
the supposed efficiency Of the plan is to
be found In the prohibition Of the con
troll by any such corporation "of more
than 30 per cent OF the total amount OF
any product consumed In the United
States" This is another delusion Of
ratio.
1t might be interesting to inquire
what is the meaning OF "any product
consumed In the United States" Does
1t refer to class Of commodities?
And, IL so, how shall the classes be de.
fined? Or does 1t refer to each sepa.
rate article Of commerce? And, II so,
what account does this proposal take
of the skill and initiative of manufac-
turers who have built up a more or
less exclusive trade In particular mr..
ticles, often protected by trade marks,
although In most active competition
with other articles designed for the
same general purpose and seeking the
same market? In a desire to correct
the evils Of business are we to place
an embargo upon honest endeayor
whose activities present none of the
abuses requiring remedies? And, II
not, what statutory definitions shall be
found to be adequate and Just IL we
lay down our prohibition In terms of
volume or ratio Of business and not in
terms Of right and wrong? II we
adopt Mr.. Bryan's proposal, to what De
riod Of production Is the prohibition
to applyI Is the excess for day or
for month to be considered? Or is
the average production for year to be
taken? And what system shall be de-
vised by which suitable information /
may be furnished In the nature of dan
ger signals along the routes of trade
30 that the manufacturer may know
when be Is about to exceed the pre-
scribed ratio? He may Justly be re-
quired to govern his own conduct, but
how shall he be apprised Of the con-
duct Of others upon which is to depend
The patent laws confer true
monopoly in the exclusive right to man.
ufacture and sell. Are these laws to
be repealed because private mon
opoly is indefensible and intolerable?"
Bryan'S Crude Reasoning.
An example Of Mr.. Bryans reason
ing Is found in his statement that
when a corporation controls 30 per
cent Of the total product 1t supplies
forty millions Of people with that prod
uct" There are, Of course, specialties
which have limited market and are
used by a relatively small number of
the people of the United States. More
than SO per cent, and indeed even as
much as 100 per cent of the trade in
such articles may be In the control
Of particular corporation. This may,
In fact, be relatively a small corpora
ton. 1t may never have aspired to the
renown Of trust" But by
it's particular line with
ddelity and meeting satisfactorily A
limited want; or by reason Of some
secret processes or advantage Of expert
ence, It may control the trade in Civ
en- article of commerce. Or, suppose a /
concern controls the whole trade In
some useful byproduct which 1t has
found 1t advantageous TO make. IA the Z