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

them through the. Interstate Commerce
Commission, and 70 abolish them by
means. OF the antitrust act; the two
tuaily Incompatible. The intersta te
commerce law has produced admirable
results, especially since It was was
years ago rRs ant aw though
it worked some good. because anything
is better than anarchy and complete
absence of regulation. nevertheless
merely inadequate but misch!evous:
Twenty years ago the misuse OF
corporate power had produced
al s endry had %oskeS he
injury to business morality and the
public conscience. For long time
Federal regulation of interstate COM
national judiciary merely acting in
isolated cases to restrain the state
from exercising a power which 1t was
clearly unconstitutional as we'll as un-
nevertheless the national government
itself failed to exercise. Thus the corr
porations monopolizing commerce made
the. law for themselves, state power .r
accomplish any effective regulation.
and the national power not yet having
been put forth. The result was mis-
shortsighted and utter failure to ap-
preciate the grossness of the evils 10
which the lack of regulation gave rise
can excuse the well-meaning persons
who now desire to abolish the anti
trust law outright. or to amend 1t by
simply condemning unreasonable
combinations.
Question of Combinations.
| Power should unquestionably be
lodged somewhere in the executive
combinations which Will further the
public interest; but 1t must always be
and wealthy combinations through
which most of the interstate business
Of to-day is done. the burden Of proof
have a right to exist, No judicial tri-
bunal has the knowledge or the expert
ence to determine In the first place
whether given combination Is advls-
able or necessary in the interest of the
public Some body, whether commits
sion. or a bureau under the Depart !,
ment, OF Commerce ard Labor should
be given this power. MY personal iTeI be.
to adopt a national Incorporation law,
though am we'll aware that this
may be, impossible at present, Over
which the power is placed tho courts
should possess, merely a power jof
review analogous to that obtaining in
connection with the work Of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission at pres
lent. To confer this power would not
be leap in the dark: ii would merely
I be to carry still further the theory
OF effective governmental! control of
corporations which was responsible for
| the creation of the Interstate Com
merce Commission and for. the enlarge
ment of its powers, and for the crea-
! tion of the Bureau of Corporations,
| The Interstate commerce Legislation
has worked admirably. II has heneit-
ed the public: 1t has benefited honestly
/! managed and wisely conducted rail-
4 roads; and, in spite of the fact that
mously increased the value of this
| Federal legislation has been shown
| by the way In which 1t has enabled the
| Federal government to correct the
/, most pronounced of the great and va
| ried abuses which existed in the bust
the many abuses that sim remain em-
plastic the need of further and more
I thoroughgoing legislation. Similarly,
I the Bureau Of Corporations has amply
justifed It's creation. In other words
! 1t is clear that the PRINCIPLES employed
| to remedy the great evils IN the busi-
ness world have worked, well, and
1.-The evils that further commercial
! growth has brought more prominent
/ ~ to the surface The powers and
scope of the Interstate Commerce Com
omission, and Of any. similar. body, such
as the Bureau Of Corporations, which
has to deal with the matter In hand
should no greatly enlarged so as to
1 meet the requirements OF the present
{day
\ The decisions OF the Suprcme Court
lin the minnesota and North Carolina
leases illustrate how impossible is a
dual control or national commerce. tphe