Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1908-03-26


ton among farmers, and put back half
a century the progress of the move
ment for the betterment of labor. A
bill has been presented in the con-
gress to remedy this situation. Some
such measure as this bill is needed in
the interest OF all engaged in the in
dustries which are essential to the
country's well-being. / do not pre-
tend to say the exact shape that the
bill should take, and the suggestions
have to offer are tentative; and my
views would apply equally to any
other measure which would achieve
the desired end. Bearing this in mind
| would suggest, merely tentatively,
the following changes in the law:
The substantive part of the anti
trust law should remain as at pres
ent; that is, every contract in re-
straint of trade or commerce among
the several states or with foreign ma
tons should continue to be declared T.
Legal; provided, however, that some
proper governmental authority (such
as the commissioner of corporations
acting under the secretary of COM
merce and labor be allowed to pass
on any such contracts. Probably the
best method of providing for this
would be to enact that any contract,
subject to the prohibition contained
in the antitrust law, into which it
was desired to enter, might be filed
with the bureau of corporations or
| other appropriate executive body. This
would provide publicly Within, say
sixty days of the filing-which period
could be extended by order of the
department whenever for any reason
it did not give the department suffi-
cient time for thorough examination
the executive department having
power might forbid the contract,
which would then become subject to
the provisions of the antitrust law, if
at all in restraint of trade.
If no such prohibition was issued,
the contract would then only be liable
to attack on the ground that it con-
stituted an unreasonable restraint of
had passed without any such prohibi
ton, the contracts or combinations
could be disapproved or forbidden
only after notice and hearing with a
reasonable provision for summary re-
= view on appeal by the courts. Labor
organizations, farmers organizations
and other organizations not organized
for purposes of profit, should be al
} lowed to register under the law BY
giving the location of the head of
/ fee, the charter and bylaws, ant
the names and addresses of their prin
/, cipal officers. In the interest of al
, these organizations-bu labol
, and farmers organizations alike-th'
: present provision permitting the re
covery of threefold damages SHOULD
|
therefor the right of recovery allowed
: for should be only the damages sus
tanned by the plaintiff and the cos
} of suit, including reasonable at
= torney's fee.
: The law should not affect pendin;
D.. suits; a short statute of limitation
Lob h cn 20 ho &c
Y is concerned, not to exceed a veal
: Moreover, and even more in the inter
t cts of labor than of business CON
e binations, all such suits brought TO
y causes of action heretofore occurre'
l. should be brought only If the cor
n tract Or combination complained Q
l. was unfair or unreasonable. 1t ma
l. be we'll to remember that all of tn
0 suits hitherto brought by the gov
l. eminent under the antitrust law hav
/ been in cases where the combinatio
I or contract was in fact unfair, unre;
/ sonable, and against the public il
r terest
$ 1t is important that we should e.
o courage trade agreements betwee
i employer and employe where they al
just and fair. A strike is clums
l. weapon for righting wrongs done
; labor, and we should extend. so (;
$ as possible, the process of concili
RI ton and arbitration as a substitute
for strikes. Moreover, violence, di
70 order, and coercion, when committe
% in connection with strikes, should
'r as promptly and as sternly represse
" as when committed in any other CO
II nection. But strikes themselves ar
n and should be, recognized to be e.