The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-07
new ANTITRUST LAW.
Robertson Bill Provides for Heavy
Penalties.

Senator Fred Robertson of Rawlins
county this morning introduced a bill
similar in many of it's provisions to
that of the New Zealand antitrust
law, and which is possessed of real
sharp, pointed teeth for the corpora
lions which place their own interpre-
tation on being good.
The bill, which is short in eompari-
son with many measures, is filled with
terse paragraphs that point out the
straight and narrow way for the trusts
and monopolieS that enjoy an exist
ence in other states and do business
in Kansas. Robertson aims at the big
outside concerns which gather from
the states resources and place their
own construction on state statutes. 1t
is aimed at the sugar trust, the beef
trust, the tobacco and steel trusts and
dozen combines of similar organiza-
ton which in years gone by The state
was unable to reach on account of
. inadequate laws governing the particu-
lar trouble. 1t is probable shat the
Robertson bill. if passed, will cause
more grief and gnashing of teeth in
the realms of high finance than any
measure introduced in the 1911 seS-
sion. The bill is broad in scope and
provides a remedy alike for the man
who buys sugar for his coffee, a
cultivator for his field, or Battle Axe
for his private satisfaction.
The bill provides in part as follows:
Any person, firm, corporation or as
sociation which enters into an ar
| rangement, contract, agreement. trust
or com bine outside of this state to fix
prices, fees. or rates contrary to the
laws of this state shall, if any overt
act is done within this state by any
one or more of such persons, firms,
corporations, or associations. or by
their agent, employee or trustee OF
| any one or more of them in further
ance of such agreement, contra ct.
trust or combination be liable to a
penalty of 500 for each and every
day such violation of this action may
| continue; to be removed from the
state of Kansas for it's use in any court
| of competent jurisdiction by either
! the attorney general of the state, or
| by the county attorney of any county
/ in which said overt act is done.
If any two or more persons, firms
| corporations, or associations are re-
| sponsible for the same violation of this
act. each of these shall be severally H.
| able to the penalty fixed by this act
and the liability of each of them shall
| be Independent of the other or others
! When any defendant herein is a for
eign corporation or a nonresident OF
! this state an attachment against his
| property may, at or after the com
mencemet of the action against him
be obtained by the state as plaintiff
1 and proceedings had and service OBJ
| tanned as are otherwise provided BY
law in civil actions against foreign cor.
! porations or nonresidentS.
In any such actions, claims may bt
joined for the recovery of penalties il
respect of several offenses whether O.
the same or of different kinds.
In any such action, the court may ii
| addition to the said penalty, grant al
| injunction against the continuance o.
| the repetition of the violation: but NJ
/ such injunction shall be granted by wa.
| of introductory proceedings before fina
judgment in any action.
| In action for the recovery of a pen
! atty or for an injunction under thii
| act, no person, whether a party to th'
action or not. shall be excused from
/ answering any questions put to hin
by interrogatory or otherwise, or from
/ producing or making discovery of an,
document on the ground that the an
| swer to the question or the production
or discovery of the document woul'
tend to incriminate him. but the evi
dence, answer, or the discovery of an.
such person shall not be used agains
him in any criminal prosecution.
Nothing in this act shall prevent an,
person, firm, association or CORPORA tiol
from bringing civil action for injur
les sustained by reason of the viola
| ton defined in this act