El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-19
President of Illinois Com
mission on Uniform Laws
Urges All States to Get
Together.

Washington. D. c., Jan. ia strong
plea for harmonious incorporation leg
islation was made Tuesday by John c.
Richberg, president of the Illinois COM
mission on uniform state laws and also
chairman Of the committee on Uniform
incorporation act. in an address before
the national civic federation confer
ence.
He held that the divergent laws in
the various states were no longer mere
obstacles to commercial and social de-
velopment. but actually menaced both
the business and moral growth of the
nation
In the early days of the republic. he
said, there was no necessity for uni
form legislation among the states and
it was of little Importance to the peo-
pie of one state what kind of laws
were in force in another But with the
rapid growth Of the nation the laws of
the several states. though drawn from
two parent sources, the common and
the civil law, had become more and
more inharmOniOuS. giving rise to
many troublesome controversies and
endless conflicts.
Incorporation Laws.
Mr.. Richberg- heartily agreed with
those who believed in the power of con-
gress to authorize the formation of cor
poratiOns and regulate corporations en-
gagged in interstate commerce. The IN
ability of the states TO deal with prob
lens of national extent had been clear
" shown and the onward march of
commerce and discovery must not be
halted by state lines There should be
legislation both on the part of congress
and by the states. Congress should
pass a national incorporation act for
corporations engaged in interstate COM
merCe and the states should adopt
uniform law for local corporations.
Most laws. he argued. which were
wise as to interstate commerce would
be equally applicable TO commerce with
in the states. so that both state and
federal laws could be harmonious. At
present 46 states governed and regu-
lated corporations when there should be
but one policy.
Corporation Citizenship.
The speaker believed that the day
would soon come when a national in
corporation law would effectively rid
the country of the homogeneous and
chaotic provisions in the incOrpora-
ton laws of the different states But
this would not do away with state cor
portations or the power of the state to
create them. The object should be to
displace diversity with uniformity
The corporation as citizen was
primarily, the citizens of the state of
its creation. Corporations existing
solely as federal creations would Oc-
cupy the anomalous position of citi-
zens of the United States bur not of
any separate state-a position incOn-
sistent with the proper application of
many fundamental theories of the
United States government
A corporation organized under the
laws of a state. yet conforming to ma
tional requirements for engaging in
interstate commerce. could readily be
given the privileges and held subject TO
the obligations of natural persons.
Development of Resources.
The time had long passed, said Mr..
Richbers. when problems nation wide
could be efficiently handled by local
and this civic fedora
tfon witnessed the necessity for ma
tionaI consideration of national prob
lens. Undoubtedly the corporate en-
titv was a ready cloak for wrong-do-
ing 10 be used 10 conceal many b2ne-
full activities.
But development of the great re-
sources of the United States the neces-
stiles of economic production, the util-
ization of costly and elaborate methods
of production-all the great modern
tendencies demanded the
services of the corporate form whereby
the interests of many partners in an
could be responsibly admin
istered.
Those who realized this. who were
real captains of industry and not mere
exploiters of the weak, should join in