New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-13

~ tre sIrTies areas Of the pubc domain
the future fs more insistent and none will
result ~ STEER blessings 10 posterity In
me W. 5,, ,ns splendid undertaking IS the
fmLHeI ou'S. equally Imperative, so enter
upon a systematic isnprovey1enf mon a
rsnr1ior 'o Of the es9sive plan Just to 81
fsr1pors and great lakes whose -1atIJrsl
adapIabintS 70 the increasing tra nc of the
Providence 7'''' "
In accordance with this plank. meas
ures for the conservation Of the pubIic
domain. for the reclassification of lands
according TO their greatest utility and
the vesting Of power in the Executive
70 dispose OF coal. phosphate. oil and
mineral lands and of water rovva. sites
in such a way as to prevent their
nonopoiT and uI1ior OF oi,-rers7ir, in
one syndicate or combination have
been already introduced and viii douEt-
less in q. form approved by Congress. be
made into law. The subject has ct
tracted the widest interest ard f+s i'm
portaHce IS becoming nore and more
impressed upon the American people
The rivers aa1d harl1oTs bill which has
lust baen reported by the Rivers and
Harbors Committee OF the House has
been framed with q view TO comply
with the plank 81 the platform / have
Just above quoted. It has taken the
plan for the improvement Of the Ohio.
from Ptttsburg TO Cairo, as q project
TO be carried out In a certain number
OF years and It has treated similar
projects for the Improvement Of the
Missouri from Kansas City TO st.
Louis; for the improvement of the Mis-
sfssippi. from st Paul 80 ST. Louis. and
OF the same river. from ST. Louis to
Cairo. and by continuing contracts and
regular appropriations, these projects
viii go on until the. are completed
This is n change from the previous
plans. and is the result Of an extended
popular agitation In favor OF such a
system.
REVENUES FELL OFF.
Following the panic Of 1901 the gov
eminent revenues fell off and the eX
penditures continued as before, leaving
a deficit for the years 1907, 1908 ana
1903 There was. however, no deficit
in the whole administration Of Mr.
Roosevelt, when the expenses are COM
pared With the revenues Indeed, II VIII
he fonud that under the operation OF
+I7a ninsiev bill. which covers most Of
his administration and the first six
months of the present administration,
the surplus on the whole T3s about
$3.50 600 600.
At the beginning Of this adrlllnlstra
ton however. il was perfectly evident
shat with expenses increasing and rev
enues decrea sing, there would be con
tinuous deficit, and this the Repnbhcah
marty with its ma iorIty IN congress
and the responsibility placed upon It,
has proposed 70 meet by reducing eX-
penditures and increasing revenues.
I hare already shown What the in
crease in revenues has been The pres
ent administration in its estimates 1or
the rear ending June 80, 1911, cut them
some fortv-odd million dollars below the
actual appropriations of tbs year before,
and now II IS proposed 70 appoint a
Joint commission, consisting OF Con
| eress1nen, Senators and members ap-
! pointed by the Executive, Who shaA eH-
anime the organization OF the various
! Departments and bureaus, and By me
| elimination of publication. the consoh-
! dation 81 bureaus and the increase m
! eficiercw Of the individual civil servant
! shall decrease the regular permanent
| cost of v@r1mental operation
With respect TO trusts, the Repupllcan
/ party spoke as follows in its platform
| The Republican party passed the sher-
! man snti-tr7lst lar over Democratic op-
! position and enforced II after Denocra nc
! dereliction. Il has been ~G2leSolns ~.
! and fearless administration: gut expert
! e?ce has shown that It's eFectiveness can
! +er at+aiied bv srccf amendments as will
! Sixe 70 the federal government greater
! Supervision and control over and secure
! create pIJblicitv IN the mana cement Of
| FIAT class Of corporations engaged in inter
! state commerce having power ana oppor-
/ trinity 10 erect TlOnCpolieS
since this plank vas adopted prosecu-
! @ious Of the Tobacco Trust and the
! standard Oil Trust. begun in the last ad-
/ r77inistr4tion. have gone on and have
resulted in DEGREES IN the Court Of APP
/ r1eals OF the ID and Sth circuits.
! which are now PENDING on appeal in the
! Supreme Court The DEGREES in each
! case tear apart the congeries Of subordi-
/ nate corpora tons which. united by hold
! ing companies. make I'D the trust IN
! each case and enjoin individuals from
: a further maintenance OF the Illegal
+ combination of such corporations 10
carry on the business for which it was
! organized.
=. FEDERAL INTERPRETATIONS
! It las been said that the Republican
/ party made a promise 50 to amend the
/ law as to 9meliorate and soften the ap-
/ plication Of the trust law in its inter
/ diction upon business as conducted by
! the grea test corporations. but I find
/ netting in tho platform 70 justify such
( a construction The principle of, the
| antitrust law is that those engaged in
! modern business. especially of manufdCt-
/ lIre aud transportation. shall pursue the
policy with respect to their competitors
! of Live and let live" end that they
! shall not use the bigness of their con
! Germs to brighten exclusive patronage
! frum customers and the elimination OF
:
thus control output and fix prices.
The ATTORNEY General has prepared q
I bill which he thinks. and I think. will
/ offer 10 those who wish to pursue o law
! fll method Of business the means of
/ "a silv doing so--a lawful interSta t.
| business under the protection OF a. fed
/ eraI charter which while IT will subject
/ the business of the concern 70 tbs closest
SCRUTINY Of government offices wiu save
/ the business from nara sSnent by state
| authorities and will give II that pro
! lection which its peaceful pursuit Of irs
! business as a federal corporation viii
( necessarily secure It.
This measure has met the approval nf
! those uho fear too great concentration
/ of power in the federal government. Of
! those who deny the right OF the federal
/ government in such cases to grant in
/ corporation J believe the act 10 hs con
/ stitutional and I believe that If enforced
If would furnish a solution Of our pres
ent difficulties. but As II vas not spe-
Cifcall- declared for in the Republican
! platform I do not feel justified in ask
! ing the adoption of such act 4
! l,4rtv matter 7 have brought il for
| card. however as a suggestion for m eet
/ ing the difficulties which are likely 70
! be presented II the prosecution Of sus-
pactAd Illegal trusts, as 4 means by
which they can put their houses il or
| 1ar ana take their places among those
! engaged in Legitimate business.
If the other measures to which I have
! referred are enacted into law. and the
! party pledges of the Republican party
4 u