Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-01-14

L OF congress-, anu as ACKNOWLEDGEMENT III ILLS
] agreements between C-rriers subject to
for transportation of passengers and
freight which they may agree to estab-
lish. should not be permitted, provided,
copies of such agreements be promptly
filed with the commission, but subject to
all the provisions of the interstate com.
merce act, and subject to the right of
any parties to such agreement to cancel
it as to all or any of the agreed rates;
days notice in writing to the other par
ties and to the commission"
Other Amendments Urged.
In accord with other declarations of the
Republican platform of 1868, the president
| further recommends that the Interstate
m law be amended so as to pro-
to the commerce act shall, directly or IN
! Kind in CAPITAL stock. or purchase or
lease any railroad. or any other corpora
ton which completes with it respecting
merce act applies; that a law be enact
ed providing that no railroad corpora
act shall hereafter for any purpose con-
nected with or relating to any part OF its
capital stock without previous or stimuli
taneous payment to 1t of not less than
the par value Of such stock, or any oonds
or other obligations Except notes matur-
ing not more than one year from the
date of their issue), without the preV1-
Gus or Simultaneous aymen to Such cor
pOratiOn of not less than the par value
of such bonds, or other obligations, or,
if issued at less than their par value,
then not without such payment of the
reasonable market value of such bonds
or obligations as ascertained by the in
terstate m commission; and that
no property, service, or other thing than
money. shall be taken in payment to such
required price of such stock. bond or 9TH
err obligation, except the fair value of
such property, services or other thing as
certained by the commission"
Would Prevent Wrong Practices.
The president continues:
Il believe these suggested notifications
merce act would make it a complete and
effective measure for securing reasonable
ness of rates and fairness of practices in
the operation OF interstate railroad hneS,
without undue preference to any indiVidu-
al or class over any others.
BY my direction the attorney general
Observation-Disclosures, which will be fur
nished upon request to the appropriate
In addition to the foregoing amend
ments of the interstate commerce law,
should be given the power, after a hear
ing, to determine upon the uniform con-
structiOn of these appliances-such as sill
steps, ladders, roof hand holds, running
boards and hand brakes on freight cars
the trainmen in the operation of trains,
the defects and lack of uniformity in
which are apt to produce accidents and
injuries to railway trainmen. The Won
derful reforms effected in the number OF
SWltCnmen ana tralnmen injured Dy coup
ling accidents, due to the enforced IN
PRODUCTION of safety cOuplers, is a demon
stration Of what can be done II railroads
are compelled to adept proper safety ap-
pllances.
tons of the interstate commerce mploy-
ers' liability act, as 20 whether suit can
be brought against the employer com
pany in any place OthSr than that of it's
home office. The right to bring the suit
under this act should be as easy of en-
fOrcement as the right of a private per-
son not in the COmn9nV'S emDIOV TO sue
on an ordinary claim, and process in each
suit should be sufficiently served if upon
the station agent of the company upon
whom service is authorized is made, to
bond the compan in ordinary actions
the foregoing purposes have been con-
sidered by the house of representatives
fore the interstate commerce committee
of the senate. l earnestly urge that they
be enacted into law"
Control of the Trusts.
The second part of the message is de-
voted to the control of trusts. After a
lengthy discussion OF trusts, good and
bad, and the success OF p~rosecuIons un.
ssys:.
utlve to direct an investigation by the de-
partment of justice, through the grand
jury or otherwise, into the history, organ
%ization, and purposes of all the industrial
companies with respect to which there is
any reasonable ground for suspicion that
they have been organized for a purpose,
and are conducting business on a plan
which is in violation of the antitrust
law; The bero work fbH is n a heavy Wy one one d put ! IT
ment of justice, if sufficient funds are
furnished. to carry on the INVESTIGATIONS
work. But such an investigation and
possible prosecution of corporations whose
prosperity or destruction affects the COM
fort not only of stockholders but millions
of wage earners, employees. and associated
tradeSmen must necessarily tend to dis
turb the confidence Of the business COM
munity, to dry up the now flowing sources
produce a halt in our present prosperity
that will cause suffering and strained cir
cumstances among the innocent many Tor
faults of the guilty. few. The question
which 1 wish in this message to bring
clearly to the consideration and decision
of the congress whether to avoid business
danger something cannot be done by
which these business combinations may
be offered a means, without great finan-
ciaI disturbance. of changing the char
acter. organization and extent of their
business into one within the lines of the
law under federal control and supervision,
securing compliance with the antitrust
statutes.
For Government Control.
Generally, in the industrial combina-
lions called trusts, the principal bust
ness is the sale of goods in many states
the Interstate and foreign business far
exceeds the business done in any one
erai government in granting a federal
charter to such a combination to make
and sell in interstate and foreign com
ture under such limitations as will Sc
cure a compliance with the antitrust
law. 1t is possible so to frame a statute
that while it offers protection to a fed
eral ompany against harmful, veXatious
it shall subject it to reasonable taxation
and control by the states, with respect to
its purely local business.
Many people conducting great bust
nesses have cherished a hope and a be-
lief that in some way or other a line
may be drawn between good trusts and
bad trusts and that it is possible by
amendment to the antitrust law to make
a distinction under which good combina-
tons may be permitted to organize, sup
press competition, control prices. and do
1t all legally if only they do not abuse
the power by taking too great profit out
of the business. They point with force to
into power through criminal methods by