The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-26

Some such measure as thss bill tB needed, In the interest of those engaged
 the countries well-being. do not pretend to say the exact shape that the bill should take. and the suggestions have to offer are tentative; and my snd weS Rey eeSi scheTs S a%s 0h tn.
 desired end. Bearing thls in mind,
 would suggest merely tentatively the
 following changes in the law:
 The substantive part of the anti
 trust law should remain as present,
 that Is, every contract in restraint of
 trade or commerce among the several
 states or with foreign nations. should
 oontinue to be declared illegal. pro-
 vided, however, that some proper gov
 ernnental authority such as the corn.
 missioner of corporations acting un-
 as5 the to of sD and
 Probably the best method of providing
 Tor this would be to enact that any
 contract. subject to. the prohibition
 which 1t is desired to enter, might be- fitted with the bureau of corporations
 or other appropriate executive body.
 This would provide publicity. With
 period could be extended by order of
 the depsrtment whenever for any rea-
 son it did not give the department
 sunicient time for thorough examin-
 ing power might forbid the contract,
 wnicn would then become subject to
 the provisions of the anti-trust law,
 M no n scs rsstrsD prosStan of ns srsse Wss issued
 the contract would then De liable to
 attach on the ground that it constitut-
 ed an unreasonable restraint of trade.
 Whenever the period of filing had
 tb7 contracts or commissions could
 dlsapprove or forbidden only after mo-
 tice and hearing with Unreasonable pro-
 ssGhs sy ts TOT ,T,s summary review on appsal
 farmers organizations And other or-
 ganizations not organized for purpose
 of profit, should be allowed to register
 S9dsr w sS. tss bs aw cy Sy giving the loeatiSn
 jaws and the names and addresses of their principal oiacers. In the interest of all these organtxations, business iabor-farniers organizations, .a like,-, the present provisions permitting the recovery of three-fold damages should for. the. right of recovery allowed for
 should be only the darnages sustained including a reasonable attorneys fee statute of Limitations.
 .arhe law should not affect pending
 suits: short statute of limitations should be provided, so far as the past Is concerned, not 10 exceed . year. Moreover. and even more in the int ei . est of labor than, of business combf-
 nsaions' nation. all such suits brought for should he brought only If the contract Of combination complained of was un-
 fair or unreasonable. It may be we'll
 to remember that all of the suits hith- the anti-trust law have been In cases where the combination or contract 1 was in fact unfair, unreasonable, and Tt is important that We should en- | courage trade agreements between em- ployer and enploye where they are
 just and fair. A strike Is a. clumsy
 sSo and r ws sRoaia sntsnsd Sa0nsds so S0qs asr s possible, the process of coucIliation
 ana s..,. arbitEation gaa as q substitute for nection with strikes, should be at promptly and as sternly repressed as
 when committed in any other connec- tioi1. But strikes themselves are, and legal. combinatIons of workingnasS Ii have peculiar reason for their exist | ence. The very wealthy individual
 employer. and stIll more the very | nous advantage when compared to ths I individual workingman; and whils there are many cases where it may mol l be necessary for lab0rers to form {
 union, in many other cases 1t ls indis, | pensable. for otherwise the tiIousands I of small units,. the thousands of indi, | vidual workingmen, will be left help. l less in their dealings with the one bia unit. the big individual or corporatl Twenty-Five years ago. by the aci of June 2s.. 1See, trades unions were l recognized by law, and the right oi
 laboring people to combine for all law, Gul purposes was formally recognized I this right including combination fol
 mutual protection and benehts, ths l ditions of labor. and the protection oi l the individual rights of the workmeE in the prosecution of their trade oi trades; and in the act Of June 1. 1898 l strikes were recognized as legal in thu same provision that forbade partici. | patton in or instigation of force ol I violence against persons or property
 or the attempt to prevent others iron | idation. The business man must bs
 so must the farmer and the W wage.
 woFker; and ss Fegsrdss, s,n all aiike. ths
 lawful purposes should be explicitly
 "The right of employers to combIns
 wfh tSer cpSoyes Ghe eRouis anQsner Sa sxnn Sne l itiy recognized; and so should the | right of the employees to combine and | to contract with one another and with | the employers. and to seek peaceabiy l views, and to strike for the purpose oi | peaceably obtaining from smpioyers | Satisfactory terms for their labor l Nothing should be done to legalize | either a blacklist or a boycott thai l would be Illegal at common law; this | being the type of boycott defined end
 condemned by the Anthracite Strike | Commission.
 FiRaneaai Legislation.
 "The question of financial legisla- | tion Is now receiving such attention in both Houses that we have a right l to expect action before the close oi l the session. It is urgently necessary l that there should be such action. More 1 over, action should be taken to estab- | lish postal savings hanlkn. These pos tai savings banks are imperatively needed for the benefit of the wage. | workers and men of small means, and 1 will be a valuable adjunct to our whole | financial system.
 ''The time has come when we should 1 prepare for a revision of the tariff | This should be and indeed must be | preceded by careful investigation. Ii | is peculiarly the province of the Con- | gress and not of the President, and indeed peculiarly the province of the | House of Representatives., to origin. | ate a tariff bill and to determine upon l its terms; and this fully realize. Yet | 1t seems to me that before the close l of this session provision should be
 made for collecting full material which | will enable the Congress elected next | fall to act immediately after 1t comes | into existence. This would necessltate te
 some action by the Congress at It's pre-