The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-19
TO FIX PRICES.
4 Commission for That Purpose
Is Hinted At
By yAttOrneyG Wickersham
in Speech at Duluth.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND
He Declares No Longer Regulate
Sales of Commodities.
May Be Necessary for the Gov
ernment to Step In.

Duluth, Mimi. July 19.-Attorney
General Wickersham before the Min
nesota State Bar association here this
afternoon took an advanced stand on
the further federal regulation of cor
porations. and said a government COM
mission to regulate great industrial or
ganizations, in the same way that the
Interstate commerce commission regu-
lates railways, was certainly most de-
sirable and might be absolutely neces-
sary.
Mr.. Wickersham' speech was little
short of sensational in many of it's fea-
lures He declared that it was a mat
ter of serious consideration whether it
would be practical to give to the pro-
posed interstate corporation commits
sion the power to fix prices. To do this
in theory would require n extension n
of the principle by which the interstate
commerce commission controls the
rates on railroads.
The law of supply and demand. Mr..
Wickersham said, no longer controls
prices in the United States. For years.
he declared, the prices in all the great
staple industries have been fixed by an
agreement between the principal pro-
ducerS and not by a normal play OF
free competition. An interstate COM
mission, the attorney general added
would prevent violations of the anti
trust act and aid business men to
maintain a continued status of har-
mony with the requirements of the
law.
Many of Mr.. Understands declara-
tions were the most radical he has
made since his entrance into his official
life. With the weight of an admins
tration officer behind them. his re-
marks made a deep impression. There
indicate how far the attorney general
reflected the views of President Taft
On several occasions in the last year
he has been regarded as the spokes-
man for the administration.
The attorney general discussed the
general question of what further regu-
lation of interstate commerce is neces-
sary or desirable from a broad point
of view and said he had not attempted
to express a conclusion but merely tc
which goes to the root of the prosper
ltv of the American people.
Further Regulation Needed.
THAT some further regulation ovel
corporations carrying on commerce
among the states, may be necessary
he said, lis however, coming to be {
matter of current comment. 1t ha:
been openly advocated quite recently
by representatives of some of the larg.
est combinations of capital, probably
as a means of salvation, and to pre-
serve, under government supervision
existence is menaced by the recent in
terpretation of the Sherman act. the
disintegration of which would be neces.
sarily attended with much loss.
To such. it is a case of any pori
in shipwreck. Better continued CO.
operative life, even under a powerful
master, than disseminated properties
and segregated activities without con
Stant governmental supervision
But there are other reasons for sucf
regulation. The federal department o.
justice is not organized or equipped tC
maintain constant supervision and con.
troll over business organizations. L
deals only with cases of violation OF
the law.
The activities of an administrative
board or commission would be direct
ed to preventing such violations. and ir
aiding business men to maintain a con.
tinued status of harmony with the re.
quirements of law.
Whether or not such a federal in.
dustrial commission should have pow.
er to regulate prices is, of course.
matter of serious consideration. The in.
terstate commerce law prescribes as {
legislative rule that prices for trans
portation by rail or wire, or pipe line
shall be reasonable, and that no un-
Just discrimination shall be made he.
tween individuals or localities similar.
ly situated A similar rule might be de.
clared by congress with respect to the