The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-08
DEFENDS TRUSTS.
Geo. w. Perkins Attacks Law
Governing Big Business.
Points Out the Good Points in
Great Corporations.
NATIONALIST NEEDED.
Consolidation Now the Cry in
Everything Except Trade.
Suggests Supervision as a Means
to Prevent Annihilation.

structive policy in the matter of busi-
ness, to include government supervi-
sion of great corporations, was de-
clared to be the crying need of the
United States by George w. Perkins,
former partner of ]. Pierpont Nor
gan, and a director in the steel cor
poration, here.
Mr.. Perkins opinion came in a writ
ten address which was read before the
Michigan College of Mines. He was to
have delivered it himself, but he was
called to Washington as a witness be-
fore the steel investigating commit
tee. President McNair read the ad
dress.
Mr. Perkins criticised the antitrust
law as corporation batter and de-
clared large businesses were a great
thing for the development of the
country.
while many of our members of
congress have been loudly calling for
a literal enforcement OF this law (the
antitrust layv) by the executive" said
Mr. Perkins "our people have been
from were evil practices by large cor
porations, and that one of the chief
reasons the practices were evil was be-
cause the corporations were very large.
At last this question reached our su-
preme court and that court has held
that because a company is large in
size it evidently is evil in practice. Our
business men east and west north and
south, in constantly increasing num-
bers have expressed their opinion that
our country can not prosper and de-
velop as it should while this old law
is in existence.
while our executive officers have
been in the attitude stated, while our
supreme court has found as it has. and
while our business men are almost
unanimous in their position, congress
has refused even to take up study OF
the question in such a way as to as
certain whether there is anything good
and worth while in the business mans
contention.
scarcely q man in public life has
had the courage to say even a word
by way of excuse for the existence of
large business concerns. There are at
least a few self evident advantages
that could be urged as excuses for the
existence of some of our so-called
trusts and which might be fair ques-
tions for investigation ny our politi-
Clans
For instance, a congressional COM
mittee might find it OF advantage to
the people to inquire:
s'F'irst-Has the cost of articles
made by the so-called trusts increased
or decreased?
'Second-Have wages increased or
decreased?
'eThird-Has labor been more stead
lily employed and better hOused-more
generally employed and better salts
fled
"Fourth-Have there been fewer
failures in the lines OF business in
s.Fifth-Have the so-caIled trusts in
creased or decreased our foreign trade
balances?
''sixth-Have the so-ca1led trusts
devised ways and means and provid-
ed the capital for saving and utilizing
waste products. which could not have
been done by smaller concerns2
"Seventh-Is the tendency to have
the ownership of these large COM
panies and the profits made by them
enjoyed by a few or many men? Is
the tendency to have these corpora
tions in the future create, by their
profits, large fortunes for a few men,
as was the case in partnerships under
competitive methods, or is the tend
ency to distribute such profits more
generally among the people?
1.-THE civilized world is witnessing
the spectacle of our holding an extra
session of congress to enact a policy
of reciprocity; of our negotiating peace
treaties with European powers, and at
the same time of our congress calling
loudly on our attorney general to force
our business men to adopt ruthless,
competitive methods. In other words,
it seems we can have the consolidation
Of states: we can have treaties for
peace with foreign powers; we can
have reciprocity with our neighbors;
we can have church unity: but it is
unlawful, unholy to have peace in the
business world. Has the height of
absurdity at last been reached?
Congress has ignored every sug-
gestion by Roosevelt, by Taft, by
Wickersham-yeS, even by some of its
own members, looking toward any
method that would preserve any good
there is, any benefit or advantage there
is to the people in large business IN
dertakings. and has seemed content to
let the country drift toward business
chaos
Mr.. Perkins vigorously criticised
our elective government. He said our
lawmaking bodies. our congress, our
legislatures and our city governments
'.are composed of men who have no
business training or experimentation
who have made profession of public
life men who have sought the Job
rather than in olden times, having
been called to the office"
Mr.. Perkins said it was time the
strife between government and the big
corporations ceased Mr.. Perkins liken-
ed the United States of America to a
great holding company wherein the
various states were welded together in
one vast consolidation for the common
advantage and good. Our national
government. he said, first undertook
the supervision of our states; then it
undertook the supervision of our
banks and railroads. Why not at least
try to undertake the supervision of
our big business concerns before we
smash them to pieces2
ANY man who is above petty preiu-
dice and political party lines knows
deep down in his mind that what this
country needs today is nationalism.
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