Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-12-06

capital of SS.0O0000 and u third with
a capital Of SS0OO.0OO The licorice
companies are two. one with capital
of $5.75S3OO and another with capt.
tai Of 100000. There is also the
British-American Tobacco company, a
British corporation. doing business
abroad with capital of S26.OOO,OOO.
the Porto Rican Tobacco company.
with capital of Sl.S000O0. and the
corporation Of United Cigar Stores.
with capital of 100000.
Under this arrangement each of the
different kinds of business will be dis
tributed between two or more conpa-
MES with a division Of the prominent
brands in the same tobacco products.
SO as to make competition not only
possible. but necessary. Thus the
smoking tobacco business Of the coun-
try is divided so that the present in
dependent companies have 21.39 per
cent. while the American Tobacco COM
pany will have 33.0S per cent. the Lig.
gett & Meyers 2O.05 per cent, the Loril-
lard company 22S2 per cent and the
Reynolds company 2.66 per cent. The
stock of the other thirteen companies,
both preferred and common, has been
taken from the defendant American
Tobacco company and has been dis.
tributed among its stockholders. All
covenants restricting competition have
been declared null and further per-
Torrance OF them has been enjoined.
The preferred stock of the different
companies has now been given voting
power which was denied it under the
old organization. The ratio Of the pre-
ferred stock to the common was as IS
TO 40. This constitutes a very decided
change In the character Of the owner.
ship and control of each company.
In the original suit there were TWEEN.
ty-nine defendants. who were charged
with being the conspirators through
whom the illegal combination acquired
and exercised its unla wful dominion.
Under the decree these defendants will
hold amounts Of stock in the various
distributee companies ranging from ii
per cent as maximum to 2Sh per
cent as minimum. except in the case
Of one small company. the Porto Rican
Tobacco company, In which they will
hold 10 per cent. The Twenty-Five in
dividual defendants are enjoined for
three years from buying any stock ex-
cept from each other. and the group is
thus prevented from extending it's con.
troll during that period. All parties to
the suit and the new companies who
are made parties are enjoined perpet-
ually from in any way effecting any
combination between any Of the COM
panies in violation of the statute by
way of resumption Of the old trust.
Each Of the fourteen companies is en-
Joined from acquiring stock in any of
the others. All these companies are
enjoined from having common direc-
tors or officers. or common buying or
selling agents. or common Offices, or
lending money to each other.
Size of New Companies.
Objection was made by certain in
dependent tobacco companies that this
settlement was unjust because it left
companies with very large capital in
active business and that the settle
ment that would be effective to put all
on an equality would be division Of
the capital and plant Of the trust into
small fractions In amount more near
ly equal to that Of each of the indie
pendent companies. This contention
results from q misunderstanding of
the antitrust law and its purpose. 1t
Is not intended thereby to prevent the
accumulation Of large capital in bust
ness enterprises in which such COM
bination can secure reduced cost of
production. sale and distribution. 1t
is directed against such an aggrega-
ton Of capital only when its purpose
is that of Sitting competition, enhanc-
ing or controlling prices and establish
ing monopoly. If we shall have by
the decree defeated these purposes
and restored competition between the
large units into which the capital and
plant have been divided we shall have
accomplished the useful purpose Of
the statute.
confiscation Not the Purpose of the
Statute.
1t Is not the purpose Of the statute
to confiscate the property and capital
of the offending trusts. Methods Of
punishment by fine or Imprisonment
Of the individual offenders. by fine Of
the corporation or by forfeiture of its
goods In transportation are provided.
but the proceeding in equity is spe-
cific remedy to stop the operation Of
the trust by injunction and prevent
the future use Of the plant and capital
In violation of the statute.
Effectiveness of Decree.
venture to say that not In the his,
tory Of American. law has a decree
more effective for such purpose been
entered by court than that against
the tobacco trust. AS Circuit Judge
Noyes said in his judgment approving
the decree:
1.-THE extent to which IL has been
necessary TO tear apart this combina-
ton and force 1t into new forms with
the attendant burdens ought to demon
strate that the federal antitrust statute
Is drastic statute which accompllshes
effective results. which so long as II
stands on the statute books must be
obeyed and which cannot be disobey-
ed without incdrring farreaching pen
alties. And, on the other hand. the
successful reconstruction of this or