Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-16
SOUND TAFT PRAISE
Presidents denomination De-
manded at Stimson Dinner.
FOR CONTROL OF BUSINESS
War Secretary Urges Need of Fed
eral 1ncorporation-Trusts
Not So Defiant.

NEW YORK, December 16-The inter.
est of the public must dominate business
according to conclusions to which Score
tary Of War Henry l. Stimson came In
addressing the Republican Club Of New
York city here last night
The Republican Club gave the dinner,
at which Secretary Stimson spoke in his
honor. and many of the speeches were In
tribute to him. President Taft also was
highly praised.
Otto T. Barnard. president Of the club
toasted the chief executive as THE great.
est jurist Of them all: none more honest
and none more sincere"
John w. Griggs. former United States
Attorney General. also paid a high tribute
| to President Taft. as we'll as his Score
tary Of War. He urged that Defenders
of the country should lift up their voices
courageously for the denomination and re.
| election of Taft"
Other speakers were Charles D. Norton.
former secretary to the President Gen.
theodore A. Bingham, United States SEN
ator Simon Guggenheim former Gov.
FRANKLIN Murphy Of New Jersey, Gen.
Francis V. Greene and Francis Hendricks.
Monopoly Stage Not Here.
Il believe it to be plain that in our or
binary industries we have reached the
stage of large business. but not the stage
OF monopoly" said Secretary Stimson.
When the stage of monopoly has been
reached, he said. the arm of the state
Will claim the right to fix prices If we
are unwilling to accept state regulation
Oh prices We must accept the only other
regulation which Is possble-that of COM
petition. actual or potential He believed
that all methods by which can be recog-
n1zed the illegal purpose of crushing out
d competitor and controlling the market
heretofore shared with him. should be
carefully defined and punished Such leg
lslat1on, he thought, would be far-reach-
ing and beneficial in it's effect. Continu-
ing, Mr.. Stimson said:
But l believe there is a second and
even more important step to be .aken.
Thus far the function of the government
which We have discussed has been purely
negative; 1t has merely said Thou shalt
not 1 believe that the time has come
for the exercise of it's affirmative powers
II believe that the criminal provisions
OF the law should be supplemented by
legislation which will establish an admin
istrative bureau for the permanent CON
tinuOus and watchful oversight Of cor
porate business engaged in interstate com
merce-legislation which will give stabiI-
1ty to such legitimate business and at the
same time safeguard the just interests of
the public.
For Federal Incorporation.
1T seems to be clear that the federal
law is the simpler and more
effective means of reaching the result
desired
L think there can be no longer rational |
1oubt of the constitutional power of our
national government to maintain such an
Administrative system by means of fed
eral incorporation. The argument in be-
1aif Of federal corporations made by AL
'xander Hamilton to President Washing
on in 1871 has not only never been suc
'essfully rebutted, but has become crys-
allied into the decisions of the Supreme
Court.
There Is no use railing at the Sherman
aw; There Is no use demanding it's re-
zeal. Inc people will not have it repeal
a: In this believe they are right.
What we need is wise and promnt
eglslatl0p. What We need is not to inject
ne problem farther into politics, but to
ehio'e IL from politics as far possible.
Trusts Have Been Tanned.
There was a time, not so very lonp
go when many of our thoughtful citi-
ems really wondered whether our great
orporatlons did not virtually control the
ountry. There was a time when trust
managers were ruthless and defiant, even
the very committee rooms of Congress.
o large extent at least that time has
assed, though the need is ever <present
or vigilant watchfulness against anv at
empted dominance of purely selfish or
ectlonal purposes in the country.
i think there is a very general recoe-
1tlon throughout the community of the {
roblem. 1 think we realize nov better
han ever before how the interests of the
manufacturer, the laborer and the con-
umer-the corporation, it's employees and
ne pubiic-are alike bound up in com t
IAN In Its solution. l think we are even |
eginning to realize that our ATTEMPTED |
olution must not be too pretentious. too
lg1d or too comprehensive in it's effort" I