Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-02-18
THE ANTITRUST LAWS.
Additional Bills May Be Passed to
Make Them Stronger.

Roosevelt, in his recent message to
congress, strongly recommends addi-
tional legislation to make effective the
antitrust laws. He says: Not only
should there be action on certain laws
affecting wage earners; there should
also be such action on laws better to
secure control over the great business
concerns engaged in interstate conf
merce. and especially over the great
common carriers"
The recommendation of the presi-
| dent is quite likely to be carried into
effect during the present congress, and
if legislation is undertaken along this
line, Senator Philander c. Knox, Of
Pennsylvania, will have an important
| part in ii. Senator Knox was the
pioneer government official in the
work of bringing the transportation
corporations under federal control and
is conceded to be the best informed
man in the country upon this sub
ject
1t was Mr. Knox, then attorney
general, who. in 1902, recommended to
congress that i'm respect to railroad
rebates, a penalty should be imposed
upon the incorporated carrier and the
beneficiary alike, and that the rights
of the courts to restrain such prac-
tice at the suit of the United States
should be provided for in new legisla-
tion. He recommended that it should
be made unlawful TO transport traffic
by carrier subject to the "act to reg
ulate commerce." and "at any rate
less than such carriers published
rate" and that all who participated IN
the violation of such laws should be
punished. He recommended that COM
prehensive plans should be framed to
enable the government to secure all
the facts bearing upon the organiza-
tion and practice of corcerns engaged
in interstate and foreign commerce
essential to full understanding
thereof He recommended the act to
suspend the final decision of cases
under the antitrust law. All of these
cases were promptly acted upon and
became laws before the expiration of
that session of congress.
The act to expedite the hearing
and determination of suits under
the antitrust and interstate acts was
passed February IL. 1908. Under
its provisions the Northern Securi-
ties case was set down for argument
before the circuit judges of the
eighth circuit and argued in March,
1908.
On February IA, 1903, the de-
partment of commerce and labor was
created and in that department the
bureau of corporations established,
completing the governments power
to make investigation into the or
ganization, conduct, management
and business of all corporations en-
gagged in interstate and foreign com
merce.
Along the line of his suggestions
already indicated, and pursuant to
others which he made congress, also
amended the interstate commerce
law by providing that anything done
or omitted to be done by a corporate
common carrier subject to the act,
which If done by an employe there
of would constitute misdemeanor
under the law, should also be held
to be a misdemeanor committed by
such corporation: requiring every
common carrier subject to the law
to publish his tariff rates or charges.
and to maintain them; making 1t
unlawful for any person or corpora
ton to offer, grant or give, or to
solicit, accept or receive any rebate,
concession or discrimination in re-
respect to the Transportation of any
property in interstate or foreign
commerce. whereby such property
shall by any device whatever be
transported at a less rate than the
rate published by the carrier; and
also making the rate published and
fled with the interstate commerce
commission the legal rate.
IL provided also for the produc-
ton of all books and papers. both
by carrier and shipper. which di-
rectly or indirectly relate to the
transactions. and the giving Of testi-
mony. whether such document can
incriminate the party or not.
The inseparable Identification OF
Mr Knox with all these measures is
proven not only By the recommended
tions which he made from time to
time. but BY the fact that he pre-
pared bills embodying every idea in
the legislation enacted for the cor
rection Of the evils over which the
government has gained its splendid