The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-28

\NCS3!ysti Esu SH - aS ~
wv 81 %
mercc. and this now forms but a.
small fraction of the commerce carried
by the railroads through each state.
Actual experience has shown that the
effort at State control Is sure to be
nulliiied in one way or another sooner
or later. The nation alone can I, act Z.
business and of the agent by which
the business Is done. for any attempt ~
In grotesque absurdity. This means
that we must rely upon national legis.
lation to prevent the commercial
that are sure to arise unless some ONE
efficient governmental body has ade.
quate power of control over them. AZ
present the failure OF the CONGRESS 10 l.,
state commerce leaves this commerce
to be regulated, not by the State nor
sionai and necessarily inadequate and
one sided action Of the Federal judi
ciary. However upright and able
court Is. 1t cannot act constructiveiy'
1t can only act negatively or destruc.
lively as an agency. OF government;
and this means that the courts are. and
must always be, unable. to deal effec-
tyely with pron1sm ne 'n aotion
court can decide what Is faulty. put
1t has no power to make better VIVA!
it thus finds to be faulty There shou.I
be an efficient executive body created
with power enough to correct abuses
and scope enough to work out the
complex problems. that this great coun.
try has developed. 1t is not sufficient
be guilty of unwisdom or of abuses.
Any governmental body. whether a
court or a commission. whether eSe s
power enough to enable 1T to do. effec-
tive work for good. must also newt
ably receive enough power TO make
Therefore. it is clear that (unless
national incorporation law can pc
| forthwith enacted) some body or bodies
in the executive service should be Fly
| en- power to pass upon any 4comolnd-
/ ton OF agreement in relation to inter-
! state commerce, and every such COM
bination or agreement not mus p.
proved should be treated as In vioiat 9! ,,
| Of Law and prosecuted accordingly.
| The Issuance Of the securities of any
combination doing interstate business
should be under the, supervision Oh tue
national government
rho Exemption of Labor.
A strong effort has been made to
have Ia Dor organizations completely
exempted from any of the operatl
OF this law. whether or no. their .ac.s
are in restraint Of trade. Such eXcep-
ton would in all probability make the
bill Unconstitutional. and the Legisla,,,
ture has no more right to pass plil
without regard to whether it Is consti-
tutIonal than the courts have lightly 70
declare Unconstitutional law which
the Legislature has solemnly enacted
The responsibility IS as greaa a. on hn nne
/ Of power by the Legislature IN one
direction is equally to be condem i,,..l
with an abuse OF power by the courts
tons from the workings of this law,
and they who insist upon totally en-
cepting them are merely proNiulm,s s. l nc
changed. and that they shall continue
I to be exposed to the. action which tney
now dread. Obviously. an organlzatlp,
required TO furnish statistics in any
way as complete as those furnished
by organizations for profit. Moreover,
so far labor Is engaged a. IN aI pr0n4 sd
from the antitrust law are sound. This
would substantially cover the right OF
laborers to combine, TO strike pease-
ments with the employers. But when
labor undertakes in wrongful, manner
to prevent the distribution ana SAFE
Of the products Of lapof as bas % left the
! field Of production. and It's action may
plainly be in restraint OF interstate
trade, and must necessarily ne re SUD- SUD-
iect to inquiry. exactly, as IN the case
Of any other combination for the same
| purpose. so as to determine whetn'esr
such action is contrary to SOUND puoilI
policy. The hearties. emeourageri1le ers
to form labor unions and 20 en,er .n ~
agreements with their EMPLOYERS; ana
their right to strike SO long as tn nSt
We Should sanction neither boycott
nor a blacklist which would be illegal
at common law. 49,.
The measures I advocate are IN the
interest both of decent corporations
and Of law abiding labor unions They
are, moreover, pre-eminently IN the N :
terest OF the public, for IN ,n my a aaaaS
itely made up their minds that the
DAYS DAYS of the reign of the great law
sdefying and law-evadlns corporatloits
are over and that trom nns th, af ' enpit
| necessary for the transaction OF busl-
ness under modern conditions, WINE
encouraged SO long as they .S non on
| erai public are to be subjected 70
careful supervision and regulation OF
| a kind so effective rs to insure their
acting In the interest OF tne peop'e -
The Need Of Control.
Allegations are often made TO the
| effect that there is no real need FOR
these laws looking to the more effe e.
! tiv control Of the great corporations,
upon the ground that they VII DO their
work We'll without such control Gu
4 vo,,r attention to the accompanylns
COPY Of a report lust submitted by NJ,
\ Nathan Matthews, chairman or the ~,
| nance Commission, to the Mayor anu
city Council q Boston , reliat,ns co 70
\ lporations, which have been bidders tol
4 ffurnishinS to the city iron and steel.
| This report shows that there have
been extensive combinations formed III. q
1 among the various corporaNons which
| have business With the city or Boston
i including, for instance, a carefully
! planned combination embracing practi-
4 saEed IN structural steel work In New
1 England This combination Included
1 substantially all the local concerns
and many Of the largest corporations
lin4thc United States, engaged in manu-
! featuring or furnishing IN struc-
i tllral steel for use In any part
If New England u affected the States,
1 the cities and towns, the railroads
and street railways, and generally MI