The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-09-03

license system the corporation is
compelled to seek the government.
A trust can best be defined as a
corporation which controls so large
proportion OF the total quantity
OF any article used In this country
as to be able to regulate the price
and terms OF sale, and as the proper
ton controlled determines the power
OF the trust for harm, II has seemed
best to use proportionate control as
the basis OF this plan, and 25 per
cent has been fixed arbitrarily as
the proportion at which the line
should be drawn. A corporation
which controls less than 25 per cent
OF te product In which It deals, may,
In extraordinary cases, exert per-
ceptible influence in controlling
the price off the product and
the terms OF sale, but as a rule a
corporation must control more than
that percentage OF the total product
before 1t can exert a hurtful iuflu-
ence on trade. Under this plan, the
small corporations are left entirely
free and unhampered. This is not
discrimination against the larger
corporation, but a recognition OF the
fact that rules are necessary in the
case OF corporations controlling
large percentage OF the product
which are not necessary In the case
lof smaller corporations. Probably not
per cent OF the corporations en-
gagged in interstate commerce would
be required to take out license
under this plan-possbly not one
half OF one per cent and yet what
protection the remaining 90 per cent
would find IN the law requiring a IL
cense in the case OF the larger ones!
The license, however, would not
prevent the growth of the corpora
tions licensed. 1t would simply
bring them under the eye of the fed
eral government and compel them to
deal with the public in such way as
to afford the public the protection
necessary. One Of the restrictions
suggested is that such licensed cor
porations be compelled to sell TO all
purchasers in all parts of the country
on the same terms, after making due
allowance for cost OF transportation.
Mr.. Taft attacks this restriction as
utterly impractlcable." He says:
III II can be shown that in order to
drive out competition, a corporation
owning a large part Of the plant pro-
ducing an article is selling in one
part Of the country where 1t has COM
petitors, at low and Improbable
price, and in another part OF the
country, where it has none, at an ex-
orbitant price, this is evidence that
1t is attempting an unlawful mono
poly and justifies conviction under
the antitrust law"
II such an act is now unlawful,
why is he so frightened at plan
which gives to the small competitor
this protection? The trouble with
the present law is that it does not
restrain the evils at which 1t is aim
ed. The plan proposed in the Dem
ocratic platform brings the corpora
ton under the surveillance OF the
government when it has reached the
danger point, and thereafter subjects
1t to federal scrutiny. The present
law simply prohibits 1t in an indef-
mite sort of way, and then leaves
the officers OF the law to scour the
country and hunt up violations of the
laws provisions. Mr.. Taft is unduly
alarmed at this proposal, or else he
entirely fails to comprehend the de-
tails of the plan. He says:
ITO supervise the business of cor
| pOldtlOus III suCu way dS W liz Jue
price OF commodities and compel the
sale at such price is as absurd and
socialistic plank as was ever in
serted in a democratic platform"
And yet this sentence is found in
the same paragraph with the SEN
ence above quoted in which he de-
clares that it Is even now violation
OF the Sherman antitrust law for
corporation to attempt to destroy a
competitor by selling at a low and
Improbable price where it has COM
petition, and at an exorbitant price
where 1t has no competition. In
what respect is our plan more So
ciallstic than the plan which Mr.. Taft
endorses? Merely in the fact that
ours can be enforced. According to
Mr.. Taft's logic, a plan is not social
stic which is not effective, but the
same would be socialistic il made
effective. Why should a corporation
supplying 25,00O,OO0 of people-for
a coropration controlling 25 per cent
OF the total product supplies one