The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-08-31

lie service corporations including par
ticularly railways, but of all corpora
lions doing an interstate business.
do not wish to see the nation forced
into ownership of the railways If 1t
can possibly be avoided, and the only
alternative is thOrOugh-gOing and eff
1fective regulation, which shall be
based on full knowledge of all the
facts, including physical valuation
of the property. This physical valu-
alton is not needed, or at least is very
rarely needed, for fixing rates; but
it is needed as the basis of honest cap
italization.
Franchises for Limited Time.
I'VE have come to recognize that
franchises should never be granted
except for limited time, and never
without proper provision for compen-
sation to the public. 1t is my per-
sonal belief that the same kind and
degree of control and supervision
which should be exercised over pub
lie service corporations should be ex-
tended also to combinations which
control necessaries of life, such as
meat, oil and coal, or which deal in
them on an important scale.
II believe that the officers, and es-
pecially the directors, of corporations
should be held personally responsible
when any corporation breaks the law.
Combinations in industry are the
result of an imperative economic law
which cannot be repealed by political
legislation. The effort at prohibiting
all combination has substantially
failed. The way out lies not in at
tempting to prevent such combina-
tions, but in completely controlling
them in the interest of the public well
fare. For that purpose the federal
bureau of corporations is an agency
of the first Importance. Its power
and therefore it's efficiency, as we'll
as that of the interstate commerce
commission, should be largely in
creased.
Tariff Helps Rich.
There is a widespread belief
among our people that, under the
methods of making tariffs which have
hitherto obtained, the special intere-
ests are too influential. Probably
this is true of both the big interests
and the little interests. These meth
DDS have put a premium on selfish
ness, and naturally the selfish big in
terests have gotten more than the
selfish small interests.
Tariff Commission.
The duty of congress is to provide
a method by which the interest of the
whole people shall be all that receives
consideration. To this end there
must be an expert tariff commission,
wholly removed from the possibility
of political pressure or of improper
business influence. Such a commits
sion can find out the real difference
between cost of productions which is
mainly the difference of labor cost
here and abroad. As fast as its rec
are made, 1 believe in
revising one schedule at a time. A
general revision of the tariff almost
leads to log-rolling. and
the subordination of the general pub
lie interest to local and special inter-
ests.
The absence of effective state, and
national, restraint upon un-
fair money getting has tended to ere
ate a 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 ena-
bic these men to accumulate power
which it is not for the general welfare
that they should hold or exercise. we
no man a fortune which rep
resents his own power and sagacity,
when exercised with entire regard to
the welfare of his fellows. But the
fortune must be honOrably obtained
and well used. 1t is not even enough
that it should have been gained with
out doing damage to the community.
We should permit it to be gained only
so long as the gaining represents Den-
eft to the community. This, | know,
implies a policy of far more active