The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-09-28

| sion rs contrary To law In other
words. business must face the neces-
sity Of throwing away the crutch of
combination against competition i'm its
further progress. When this rule is
recognized when the corporations that
have offended the law are disintegrat-
ed sufficiently TO enable competition
to have full play, then there is no rea-
son why business should not go on UNI
hampercd.
Concerning Criticism.
Criticism has been uttered I'm no
measured tone against the activity of
the Department of Justice In the insti-
tuition of prosecutions and bills of equi-
| ty under the antitrust law. on the
ground that 1t Is hurting business. 1t
Is the sworn duty of the Executive to
enforce the law, and as long as such
combinations exist and are known to
exist to the law officers of the Gov
eminent in any way they would be
lacking in their duty If they did not
prosecute them. They are under my
orders to treat the prosecution of
trusts like the bringing of any other
suits which are within the scope and
duty of the Department of Justice. and
| must decline to admit that there is
any discretion which would enable
the attorney general and his assistants
TO stay the hand of the Government I'm
respect of such violations of law. |
do not think IL need be long continued,
| hnRnt1aa I hnliaKsa. l.ttu
community itself is rapidly taking in
the effect of the decisions of the SUI
preme Court, and that we may expect
a revolution of feeling on the attitude
of business men toward this step.
| | have heard the sevcrcst criticism,
from such men engaged i'm business, of
the antitrust law. II is difficult for me
to argue with them, because don't
understand how their position can be
supported i'm the slightest. They seem
to think that there ought to be some
measure making legal the control of
competition and limited monopoly,
some statute enacted which shall es-
tabish a line between those monopo-
lies that are reasonable and those that
are not-those that are benevolent and
those that are uncomfortable. No
such line is possible, and the Supreme
Court has expressly so decided. Mour-
ming over condition which is inevi-
table is useless, and until they realize
that their views in this regard must
be radically changed their complaints
must fall upon deaf ears.
In Regard to Tariff.
| / have seen arguments based upon
the attitude of foreign governments
toward great enterprises I'm which II is
pointed out that they have encourage
ed, fondled, and protected combinations
OF this character. That Is true. There
is tendency among some foreign go
Ivernments To encourage what they call
trusts to take part themselves In the
management of the trusts, to fix prices,
and to depend upon governmental con-
troll to secure their reasonable conduct;
but such q system with us ia absolute
w impossible, and II might as well be
understood. The countries TO which
reference is made are veerlng toward
state socialism. This, indeed. If COM
petition is to disappear, is the logical
escape from the evil of privae monop-
olics. because If private companies are
to be allowed to manage everything
and fix prices, then there is every
reason why the control thus exercised
by them should be transferred from
them to the government and this is
state socialism.
Third with respect to tariff laws.
The business of the country today rests
upon the protective tariff basis Ev-
eryone knows this, and everyone must
he aware that a change of tariffs in
such a way that those businesses that
are dependent upon protection for their
existence shall lose 1t must injure pre-
sent conditions in all business. whether
dependent on the tariff or not, The
change. therefore. from a protective
tariff to a tariff for revenue only is
necessarily hostile to existing bust
ness, and must lead to business de-
preston and at least temporary bust
ness disaster But there are many,
ana l am dnlOuB luoSt WIN b'iitN' 'ii'''
protection i'm the past has been too
high, and that IL is possible to lower
I, the tariff so as not to Interfere with
| business. give living rate of protec-
| ton to existing enterprise and yet pre-
vent excessive prices growing out OF
excessive rates. In carrying out such
n policy and maintaining such an atti-
| tude, Il is essential that the interests
of business should be guarded by close
| investigation into their needs as To q
| protective tariff, and this emphasizes
| the Importance and vital necessity OF
| the maintenance of tariff commits
| sion and OF its ascertainment of the
| facts with respect to business and the
| difference between the cost of pro-
| duction here and the cost of production
\ labroad before tariff changes are made
The Tariff Board.
one of the prominent and useful feat
ures of the administration of the Go
vernment in Germany, In Austria, ano
I'm France is the existence OF under Of
Il ncials constituting n tariff bureau ol
commission who follow closely Tho
\ changes I'm trade i'm their own country
land I'm other countries through consul
lar bureaus and otherwise. and wh'
keep in constant readiness for use
digested mass of Information which en-
ables them to advise the Government