The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-12-01
st. Louis Decision Based on Evidence
Gathered by Garfield Under Roose-
velt's Direction. Il Great Thing for
Business.

For under that law it l. almost i'm
possible for practically any corpora
ton to transact business, for even
corporation partnership might be at
tackled. L believe the officials at
Washington are coming to the view
that the law is too drastic and that
even Mr.. Roosevelt himself shares in
that opinion.-John d. Archbold.
IF the Sherman antitrust law is
ever altered as a result of the gov
ernments victory against Standard Oil
by the st. Louis decision, it will not
be changed nthe way that John D.
Archbold and others of the Rookie
Teller cabinet expect"
This is the assertion of Jas. r. Gar
field, who, as commissioner of cor
porations under President Roosevelt
three years ago, collected the evidence
on which the government was able to
win the dissolution suit Reused by
Archbold's hints from 26 Broadway
that Roosevelt himself is not satisfied
with the Sherman law, Mr.. Garfield
has issued a stirring defense of his
former chiefs administration, and in
timated that the oil octopus in future
will travel even a rocker road than
before. Mr.. Garfield believes that as
two results of the decision, the con-
servation of natural resources will be
aided, and that malefactors like Stand
ard Oil will find themselves in peril
of contempt of court if they try to
emulate the Rockefeller way of doing
business.
In an interview yesterday on this
subject, Mr. Garfield said:
"Sincp the decision of tho ITpitad
States circuit court of appeals, up
holding the government in it's suit to
dissolve the Standard Oil company
of New Jersey, the statement has
been made that this is a barren vic
tory and merely proves that the anti
trust law is unsatisfactory. Such an
Interpretation of the decision is I'M
justified. 1t will be of great value
both in defining what is unfair COM
petition and restraint of trade under
the existing law and further, IN
pointing out way to wisely change
the law.
at is true that President Roosevelt
pointed out that unsatisfactory con-
dition of the present law and urged
its change, but only on condition
that before such changes were made,
direct, affirmative control and regu-
lation over industrial corporations
similar to the regulation OF railroads
ana other common carriers.
Mr.. Roosevelt showed that to
amend the Sherman law, and not 10
provide other legislation would ~
most unwise; the changes should go
hand in hand
RoOscveIts Recommendations.
''He urged that new legislation
whatever it is lor-whether a ma
tional corporation act or a license
for doing interstate commerce bust
ness, or a registration plan-should
provide for proper publicity of the
business of the big corporation, its
owners and affiliations, and provide
for ver-capitalization and for such
control as would enable the govern
ment to prevent unfair competition
through bogus companies or other
wise, and stop or punish Transporter
ton discrimination and rebates
"Now. SO far as the Standard Oil
case is concerned: 1t is evident from
published statements OF the opinion
that the court sustains entirely the
report l made as commissioner of
corporations in 1906, which covered
all questions of railroad discrimna-
ton. unfair competition, methods of
control through subsidiary COM
panies and the general organization
Of the Standard Oil company of New
jersey.
De, ision Is FaTrca"linG.
"An OF these unfair methods of
competition are now prohibiteu
through injunction. their expose will
help to prevent repetition and, in adj
dit pm, the court may now punish any
person who violates this order. The
court sustains our contention that
The law seeks to prohibit the results
Cf unfair competition and the re-
straints of trade. not merely the
methods used to obtain such results.
The injunction is broad enough to
hereafter reach any device, no matter
how clever how indirect.
another feature of this decision
important to the public is that the
IL leral government has shown that
no corporation, no aggregation of
capital, whether by trust agreement
or otherwise, is stronger than the
United ST ties, and that in the hands
of an efficient administration, the
laws can be enforced even against
the greatest corporations. The RoOse-
Welt administration made an att ok
on the Standard Oil company. not
because it was big, but because it
WAS Gi-obeying the law. The Roose-
Welt policy drew the line between
law1css corporations and the corpor-
atoms that obeyed the law, not be-
tween the big and the little corpora
lions
1t should to destroy the wrong
Tnl abuse in business. Its effect has
heon TO make business better and
stronger For the first time in the
history of the oil business, the indie
pendent oil men are enjoying fair
treatment from the railroads and are
relieved from many of the former
methods of unfair competition prac-
t'ced by the Standard Oil company.
The governments reports and actions
have made the change.
This case and the suggested
changes of law bring out clearly the
wisdom of the policy of conserving
natural resources. There is no surer,
fairerS way to prevent monopoly than
for the government to retain control
over the resources of oil, timber.
coal, water and mineral phosphates
left on the public domain and pro-
vide for their development and use
under lease and subject to such reg
ulation as will insure development
when and where needed, prevent
mono aliza ton of speculative hold
incs Z events extortion from the con-