Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-17

provement which has been effected. Il Is
my opinion that there should be a higher
must somehow touch these unproperued
classes. These must be not merely wage
the community. The government. how
ever, IL powerless to realize that end, for
does not create. On The ether hand this
problem does not seem 70 me beyond the
possibility Of solution az the hands Of
rejoice TO say that a hopeful beginning
has already been made. The greatest,
and ! suppose the best-manaeed, Of all
our corporations has adopted the sagacious
policy OF making its workmen stockholders
II the steel n Company Vas E mSyea ars Sy t = stT Il
was influenced by some consideration OF
the welfare Of the men. Altogether nearly
steel company and thew will have all the
rights ard privileges OF shareholders who
This Is the besinning Of a movement
which has in II great promise and potency
for the solution OF the greatest Industrial
Farmer and Free Land.
so far, 1 have spoken Of the wage-earner.
But the farmer feels, though In less acute
form, the existing Inequalities OF economic
conditions. In an agricultural community,
with plenty of free land, practical equality
is assured For q century thst has been
the public lanes are new pretty nearly
exhausted and the would-be farmer is
phenomenon Of vast and Increasing for
tunes IS as dlsagreeable TO a landless far
mer as it is to a proletarian wage-earner.
Here again I see little in the power of
government to ameliorate this economic
condition. except indeed 70 provide for edp-
taking the matter In his own hands and
moving northwards, where there Is abund-
ance of u%noccupied land in the new prov
inces Of Saskatchewan and Alberta, as well
as in the, older province OF Manatoba-
Vast Fortunes ON TRIAL.
Colossal fortunes are on trial in this
AA..- 80 81 hANu TAaN a. a. 1rAaNb
while to encourage and protect them, is
a question for the future. The voters OF
tie country who VIII answer IL vii nave
by the use Of which these owners put their
fortunes in their lifetime and the manner
In which they dispose of them at their
death. Yet there is one fundamental fact
which is apt to be overlooked by radicals,
though it Is essential to a just consider
alton of the whole question. / allude TO the
Circumstance that, not only are great for
tunes usually safer in the hands OF the
other hands, but in obedience to economic
laws they must be employed In. the main
benefit the consuming public and pay
wages to employees as well as earn profits
to the owners.
the interest OF the public. the public Will
not begrudge them their success II they
or the consolidation of private interests, we
are likely to see attacks. on the existing
laws Of bequest. Nor win these attacks
be met by the lstatement-true though 1t is
that these fortunes are engaged in pro-
SS ssSefyIsIa, en 10 P9Fs pus sRd T are; S woSfd Ss
true whether ownership were centralized
or diffused. And the question before US Is
whether the ownership in single hands OF
such vast fortunes is a benefit or an in
Jury to the commonwealth. Some OF our
their positions. They have declared that to
die rich is to die disgraced: that the com
millionaire df not more) to the making of
his fortune, and that the community, Is
entitled to IL share when 1.-THE the distributor IScb T,s%
generally prevails, we may feel assured
that the distribution of large fortunes VIII
be accomplished with satisfaction and ad-
vantage to the community without inter-
ference on the part Of the Eovsrnment
Of economic distribution is always fraught
with the gravest perils. 1t is apt to mark
indeed the beginning OF revolution
Anti-TruSt Legislation.
, Turning then to the subject of legislation
against trusts DR.. Schurman said that If a
just and wise policy could be formulated
and established in regard to the rights and
> obligations of the owners of great fortunes
as we'll as the claims of the public calm
and impartial discussion OF the problem of
} trusts and corporations would be easier.
Meanwhile, however, the tendency of all
; modern business has been to eliminate
curious position of legislating against the
strongest and most obvious tendency of the
mOQGTn ECONOMIC WOElu. anu Tic COuIlS
have declared business corporations illegal
which are guilty of no violation OF the
oppressive. Which have not raised the
prices of their commodities TO the public,
but which on the contrary have greatly,
benefited producers of raw articles as well
as the consumers of the finished product
because while they are guilty Of no offense
, Of smaller concerns into one large one, and
, such combinations, even when reasonable
and beneficial, are made an offense by this
drastic statute. II the large corporations
! cheaper and Increase production, open new
] markets, assure Industrial progress, and
secure reasonable prices, that Is no extern
uation; the mere act of combining smaller
, concerns into a larger one to that extent
? saction under the ban of the law. On the
: face of this decision there can be little
! corporations, but most of the smaller cor
j porations and copartnerships doing busl-
same condemnation which the courts have
? recently melted out TO some OF the largest
Let the public and congress have a right
E to insist that In the transaction of business
2 there shall be no infringement of the
no oppression either of rivals or consumers.
1t the big corporations called trusts render
obedience to law, respect the rights Of
: others and avoid Injustice and oppression,
. II is a matter of, perfect indifference
whether In the conduct OF their business
2 they are Influenced by the old principle Of
I competition of the new and better principle
8 OF combination.
Public service COrporatiOn.
: So, too. a wise ane just solution Of the
5 problem of great fortunes will enable us to
a take a saner view of railway and other
Z IN the past their legitimate business has
= been hampered by blind and needless
: legislation, IT is a question whether re-
: bates, determinations and other Injurious
practices could not have been eliminated
by the enforcement of the provisions of
i common law. And In trying to remedy
. these evils by new statutes we have I'M
doubleday created other evils and greatly
hampered business. Railway men are the
best judges of the methods of transacting
railroad business, The public had no in
terest in interfering In that province. All
that the public desires of the public service
corporations Is that they shall honorably