The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-02
PROSECUTING THE TRUSTS

PROSECUTING THE TRUSTS
We see it noted, and the Smoot
organ in this city is chuckling over the
announcement, that the administration
| is about 10 prosecute the llindling-
wood trust, which is represented as do
ing business of $25,000,000 a year
and charging undue prices for its
product. Other trust prosecutions have
been announced from time TO time.
Some of them have gone to trial. But
the public is not entertaining any very
lively recollections OF any Of these
prosecutions terminating in dis
tlnguished success. There is always
something in the way. The spectacular
fine of &29,O00,000 inflicted by Judge
Lands on the STANDARD Oil trust was
wiped off the slate Just as soon as
the Federal Circuit Court got to it,
And so it has been generally, The
courts are made to seem in league with
the trusts in place Of corrective. They
excuse the trusts in place Of furnishing
them. They liberate them instead of
placing them in quod But this is not
the fault Of the courts; it is the fault
of the law
All this is natural enough, too, be-
cause the legislation of the country is
such that trusts are favored The new
tariff law was framed chiefly by the
trusts and monopolies in their own in
terests. and Congress passed it at the
dictation Of those combines. 1t is idle
to ask the courts to convict "law!ess
trusts when Congress is busying itself
in successive sessions in building up
and supreme
Take this kindling- wood trust as an
example. The bunko tariff law cX
presslv refused to give adequate relief
from the various wood trusts that af
hict the country, The diminishing
quantity of available timber in the
United States was urged repeatedly
and forcibly upon Congress as reason
why foreign foods, in the log, at least,
should be allowed to come in duty free;
but the trusts prevailed, and all that
could he got was n reduction Of half
cent on the 1000 cubic feet, the duty
now being one-half cent, as compared
with one cent under the Dinglcy law.
Congress refused the protection asked
for the American forests, but decided
it was better to cut of our timber
rather than allow timber from Canada,
Mexico and elsewhere to come in free
by way of relief And Canada has an.
abundance of forests that she would be
glad to get rid of, while the United
States has diminishing forests that it
would be glad to save. But Congress,
subservient to the trusts and combines,
refused the relief asked for, bolstered
up the wood trusts of all kinds by keep,
ing up a prohibitive duty sufficient to
keep out foreign logs.
And now the judicial department has
decided TO prosecute the kindling~wo
trust. 1t is a game of hide-and seek.
whcro the consumer and the general
public lose out every time, and the
combines always reap added profit. AS
Il matter of course, the kindlinO-wood
trust will raise prices in view of the
outcry that American wood is becom-
ing scarce. 1t could not possibly let
the opportunity slip. 1t would have good
reason to raise prices and good excuse.
1t would simply set forth the facts.
Amer IN wood is getting scarce and
high priced Congress will not allow
foreign wood to come in except at n
price that will yet further enhance the
price of wood of all kinds. And yet
an executive department of the Govern
ment proceeds to prosecute a trust that
is thus openly and expressly fostered
by Congress.
What an uDmitigated farce it all is
And what possible chance is there for
success in prosecuting the kindliDg
wood trust in view of all the facts
that can be urged in support of the con
tcntion of that trust that it has to
raise prices on account of the scarcity
of wood? A prosecution like that is
really prosecution indirectly against
Congress itself. 1t is idle for the Gov
ernment to build up trusts with one
hand and then try to knock them off
the earth with the other. There should
be consistency and harmony in the
processes of the Government that would
relieve it from getting into such an
lmbecile position as this. Congress
builds up the kindling.wood trust, The
Department OF Justice prosecut. il.
And there you are. But what possible
sense is there in such double dealing
bnp hu