Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1910-09-01

II Se-vscs cor1.oss tsoas, iaeiud.nS psr-
.ssns-. -zi.vs!s but .. sil cc-poss-
.sa-ss dang 81 interstate business
q e. wish TO Sc he ration forced
.-o ownership q. The railways II Il
eaa possis'y b avoided. and the only
alternative Is .horous hgolng and ef-
ss-si7e regulation vhieh shat! be based
9. 5 full knowlesss .. 81 the facts,
saciue-as 4 physical vslus;son Of the
.-sa-rsy.
This physical valuation IS cot need
6, q zt least is very rarely needed
sar fixing rates. bu. i. Is needed as the
basis .. honest capitalize ton.
we have come 10 recognize that fran
chiSes should neve. te granted except
Tor & limited tine sad never without
?re.re- prov sion FOR compensation to
the public Ii IS NJ personal belief
,aa. he same kind and degree Of con-
TIC, and supervision which should be
exercised over public service corpora
.io1s should be extended also 10 COM
t.aations which control necessaries OF
lie. such as meat. oil aud coal. or
waieh deal In them OF an important
sale
believe tina, the officers and espe-
oially the directors OF corporations
should be held personally responsible
" hen any corporation breaks the law.
Combinations In Industry are the re-
suit u an imperative economic law
which cannot be repealed by political
legislation. The effort at prohibiting
all combination has substantially fall
ed The WY out lies not In attempt
ing TO prevent such combinations. but
in completely controlling them in the
interest Of the public welfare.
For that purpose the federal bureau
II corporations is an agency Of the FIRST
Importance Its power and therefore
is efficiency. as well as that OF the In
tarstate commerce commission. should
be largely increased.
We have a right to expect from the
bureau of corporations and from the
Interstate commerce commission a
very high grade Of public service. We
should be sure Of the proper conduct
Of interstate railways and the proper
( management Of interstate business as
We are bow sure Of the conduct and
mana semens OF the national banks,
and we should have as effective super
! vision in one case as In the other.
The Hepburn act and the amend
nent to that act In the shape in which
+ i. finally passed congress at the last
session represent a long step In ad-
4 vance. and we must go yet further.
Influence Of Special Interests.
There is a widespread belief among
our people that under the methods Of
making tariffs which have hitherto OBJ
tanned the special interests are too In
fuentiai Probably this Is true Of both
the big interests and the little inter
ests These methods have put pre-
4 MUM on selfshness, and naturally the
selfish big interests have got more
than the selfish small interests. The
duty Of congress Is to provide meth
cd by which the interest OF the whole
people shall be all that receives con
sideration.
To this end there must be an expert
tariff commission wholly removed from
the possibility Of political pressure OF
Of improper business influence.
Such commission can End out the
real difference between the cost Of
prediction, which is mainly the diff.
ference OF labor cost here and abroad
AS fast as its recommendations are
made ! believe In revising one seized
ule at 4 time. \ general revision OF
he tariff almost inevitably leads to
log rolling and the subordination OF
the general public interest to local and
special interests.
The absence Of elective state and
especially national restraint upon IN
fair money getting has tended to
create small class OF enormously
wealthy and economically powerful
men whose chief object is to hold and
increase their power.
The prime need is to change the
conditions which enable these men te
accumulate power which 1t Is not fol
the general welfare that they should
hold or exercise.
We grudge no man fortune which
represents his own power and sagacity
when exercised with entire regard te
the welfare Of his fellows. But the
fortune must be honorably obtained
ana well used. It is not even enough
that it should have been gained with
out doing damage to the community.
| We should permit 1t to be gained
only so long as the gaining represent:
benefit to the community. This,
know. implies policy Of far more
active governmental interference will
social and economic conditions In thi!
country than we have yet had. but
think we have got to face the fact tina
such an increase in governmental con
troll is now necessary.
Money Fairly Earned.
No man should receive a dollar I'm
less that dollar has been fairly earned
Every dollar received should represen
a dollars worth OF service rendered
The really big fortune the swollel
fortune, by the mere fact Of its siz
acquires qualities which differentiat
1t In Kind as we'll as in degree iron
what is possessed by men Of relative
Is small means.
Therefore l believe in graduate
income tax on big fortunes and in an
other tax which is far more easil
collected and far more effective
graduated Inheritance tax on big fol
tunes. properly safeguarded agains
evasion and increasing rapidly !
amount with the size OF the estate
The people Of the United States sui
fer from periodical financial panics I