The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-06-29
UPT UHE JUDICIARY.

The OF high living has received
careful gressional investigation 80
far as Il ..acerns the country at large.
and the findings doubtless are salts
factory in that relation But right
here in salt Lake City and county
there are conditions not within the
reach OF congressional inquiry-con-
editions which are extremely burden
some TO the people. and which ought
to be relieved.
The chief cause Of this specially on
.eroug and Objectionable situation is
comprised I'm local combinations that
control both price and production for
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of their members.
at increased expense to the consumer
There are the jobbers' trust, the coal
trust. the grain trust. the grocers
trust. the cement trust. the medical
trust and a long list Of others. OF
course. they do not call themselves
trusts. but they belong To that class
OF combinations just the same, and
they arbitrarily Fix prices which their
consumer is compelled TO pay, moth
withdrawing t!iese are exorbitant in
ornparison with those I'm other locali-
ties
This glaringly improper condition
exists I'm salt Lake and vicinity es-
peciaIIy. Notwithstanding the fact that
on the state statute book there Is law
,.hich amrly covers the situation.
Some have said that the law Is not
sufficiently stringent while others
think Il IS. But what matters II. 50
long as there IS no effort TO enforce itE
Here is the opening section Of the pres
-cnt law:
ANY combination by persons having
for ftg oh cct or effect the con
trolling Of prices Of any profess
sional services. any products OF
tbs mill. any article OF manu- Z.
facture or commerce. or the cost
OF exchange or transportation Is
prohibited and declared un-
lawful
That looks broad enough 70 cover
the present situation, or at least TO
Justify a reasonable effort at covering
IT.. The penalties provided I'm the sub
.seauent sections OF the law amount to
fines reaching a maximum Of $4,000
and Imprisonment for one year.
Why is Il that. with all the oppres-
Tsion that Salt Lake has suffered in the
WAY OF excessive prices, caused by
combinations IN violation OF the law Of
fhis state. the judicial department
whose duty It IS 20 administer the law,
has taken no action toward a relief OF
the pcopie2 What is the meaning Of
tho neglect on this point? Why are
these combinations. which are forbid
den By the law. not suppressed by the
.ndm nistration Of the law Why hasn't
Thcre been even the shadow Of an ef-
fort fin that direction
While we are treated 20 dissertation
on respect toward the judiciary
doesn't the latter have some obligation
10 the people that seems TO be neg
loctcd In the matter here indicated
And haven't the people a right to CON
plain7
Much time and money are expended
in running TO earth petty thieves. an'
properly 50. Yet the petty larcenist
e piEny fin dishonesty compared 70 tn
combinations that rob the consume
iu the matter Of fixing high prices 70
The necessities Of living
Tho anti-pooI and antitrust law Of
rcctcJ at these combinations is ample
The executive and legislative depart
rnents Of the state government hav
done their duty I'm this respect. Ism
% about time the judicial department
was getting somewhere near abreast O
the times by making an effort az tn
enforcement Of existing law7 The pee
pie are beginning 70 think so; the
have witnessed the neglect with SUN
cient forbcarance 20 entitle them to
vigorous change. VIII they get it7