The Carlisle independent., 1910-02-24
OPPOSE LICENSING
 OF CORPORATIONS
Measure Has Active Opposition Among Statesmen of
 Both Parties.
NOT LIKELY TO GO THROUGH
Little Probability That the Bill Will Pass at This Session-President Wants Full Truth in lnVes- tigation Into Cost of
 High Living.

High Living.
 Washington. - The administration bill for the federal license of corpora tions engaged in interstate commerce finally is before congress. It has been introduced into the house by Repre- sentative R. w. Parker, chairman of the house committee on judicial af- fairs, and in the senate by Senator Clarence D. Clark, chairman of the corresponding committee in the upper house.
 There is little likelihood that this measure, in which President Taft's heart is greatly engaged, will pass con- gress at this session. While there may not be great amount of opposition to the measure, as general proposition there is very bitter opposition in the ranks of both the Republicans and Democrats to some of the bill details. The most of the Democrats do not like it, however, as a general proposition because they believe it invades the | field of state rights.
 President Taft, because of his posi- | tive refusal to agree to plan to with | draw the governments suit to dis l solve merger of two great western railroads, has been charged recently as being the foe to all corporation activ- ities. Word has reached the White House that the belief of some capital ists is that MT. Taft is going ahead with causeless prosecutions and that he is bent on securing legislation which will cripple industry
 To offset this it has been charged that the president has been advocat- ing the federal licensing system for l corporations because it will enable the large concerns to carry on their af- fairs with a much greater license than ever was contemplated before, ii. cense of which the country cannot ap. prove. So it seems that MT Taft is charged with two diametrically op. posed offenses. He has let his friends know thaL he believes that he is stand ing on the middle ground and that when the country learns his position exactly it will approve what he is doing
 fOSlpOneO ACLlOn llKelY.
 Whether the country ultimately will approve of the presidents course ol not of course remains to be seen, but the consensus of Republican officia opinion is to the effect that the fed eral license law will not pass congress until next winter, but that the way vii g be paved for it's passage at this ses sion.
 President Taft in framing his fed eral license recommendations called into daily consultation for weeks the great lawyer members of his cabinet Secretaries Wickersham, Dickinson Nagel and Ballinger, and brought the bill into a condition which he think. to be proof against any fault findins on the ground of unconstitutionality The cabinet official who is considered perhaps to be the best lawyer in thu presidents official family, has this tt say concerning the main proposition o the federal license bills intention which is The proper control of cor porations and a prevention of monopt lies:"
 T regret very much the process which a decision was reached by tll lower court in the Standard Oil cas not the result, mind you, but that
 decision was predicted upon the fs ric of the Standard Oil Company, a not on it's operations. Relative speaking, the fabric is of little imp, | tance.
 "The real question is not whetf
 corporation controls other corpc
 tions or establishes branches in the rious parts of the country-that iso
 say, is a combination. The poins | whether or not, in the process of bll- , ing up it's combination, it has crusd
 legitimate competition.
 The Real Question. What we want to know of IT 7 corporations is whether or not ,y ; are a monopoly and are exercisingo-
 nopolistic control to the injury ohe 1 public.
 , The great trade combinatiorto- day is often the result of varyingate 7 laws and regulations which renS it , difficult for the independent corrns , to do an interstate and foreignusi- | ness.
 "The federal charter will ieve
 The corporation from various lo an I noyances to which it should not sub , ject What the government wss to f know is how tha: corporation car I rving on it's business. This it mot | 9 learn until the business is donnder D a federal charter We want atrol !. , for the purpose of protecting tpub- I lie, not necessarily for the purse of |
 breaking up the combination
 The administration has inlated |
 sharply that it is its set inteDn in | . securing federal incorporationw. to | . provide in every possible waysainst |
 writing into the statute a pro | ' vision which can be critici ad- |
 versely by those who seeto be- |
 lieye that the real intent is to |
 deprive the states of the locsontrol
 of corporations which they sud ex , | ercise. | l. II h0.