Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-08-19
URGES PUBLICITY
Perkins Wants Federal Reg
istratiOn of Corporations.
BIG INDUSTRIAL PROBE NEXT
Littleton Says Resolution Will be
Introduced in Congress to In
vestigate Commercial Ills
of the Nation.
BIG INDUSTRIAL PROBE NEXT

Washington, Aug. 12.-George w.
Perkins, the New York financier, sug.
gested to the Stanley steel trust" in.
vestigation committee that a govern
nent commission, which would insure
focusing the limelight of publicity on
the business affairs OF great corpora
tons, would do much to eradicate
present day trust evils and preserve
their virtues.
Following Mr.. Perkins suggestion,
Representative Littleton, of New
York, announced that a resolution
soon would De introduced in congress
providing for thorough investigation
OF the industrial situation of the coun.
try.
Il am advised" said Mr.. Littelton,
that there is to be a thorough In.
Guiry into all the commercial ills of
the nation, and that a conference will
be called to determine the problem Of
how to deal with the Industrial situa.
ton in America
1T is project that will involve .
most drastic investigation, and bring
together capital and labor in an ef
fort, without bias, to find out Just
what should be done"
THAT is the best news that have
heard" said Mr. Perkins.
For Bureau of Registry.
Mr.. Perkins made his suggestion In
response to question by Mr.. Bart
lett.
Il believe the mere question of lime
light an important thing" said Mr..
Perkins. The limelight firmly think
would eradicate many of our troubles.
'If we had a law providing that
corporation engaged in interstate bust
ness could register itself with a bu-
reau in Washington, submitting its
operations, its prices, its balance
sheets, it's methods, it's treatment of
labor, etc, and that if these reports
were made public, thus gaining the
confidence of the public in the securi-
ties OF that corporation the confidence
OF the competitor that he was being
fairly treated, and the confidence of
the consumer that he was being fairly
dealt With think that very soon all
corporations would register them
selves until we would have that kind
of publicity which would go a long
way to eradicate the evils of our great
corporations and preserve the good
that already is self-evident In these
corporations
Such a bureau or commission
should conduct its affairs in the lime
light" commented Representative
Young, 'and not as some of the bu-
reaus Of this government are CON
Quoted behind closed doors"
Members IF the committee and MI
Perkins applauded this suggestion, the
utterance being directed toward the
bureau of corporations, which has
withheld information about the steel
trust from the committee.
DO you think" Representative Lit
Teton asked Mr.. Perkins, that 1t
would be possible, in attempting to
cure these evils, to get uniform state
action regarding Incorporation laws?"
II think that would be utterly i'm
possible lat least within a reasonable
time" Mr.. Perkins answered.
DO you know that the conference
of governors, recently inaugurated,
and called to meet soon, could posi-
bly,, by persuasion, bring about In
the various states an initial safe
guard in incorporation laws?" Little
ton continued. Il doubt it, though
the conference of governors has done
some very good work." said Mr.. Per
kins.
After four days of grlling, Mr.. Per
kins was excused, having established
a record for length of testimony. Oak
leigh Thorne, president of the Trust
Company OF America, followed him as
q witness