New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-08
P[RK|NS0N SHERMANL LAW
eovs Many Believe It &
Hindrance to Prosperity.
WORD FOR CORPORATIONS
eountry Suffering from Deluge
of Politicians and Dearth
of Statesmen.

uourhton, Mich. Aug. 7.-George w.
,.-t,ns, Of New York. was to have de-
.a an address before the Michigan
c.r.r. Of Mines to-day on the topic,
.,r.r,.d a Constructive National Policy"
u, Perkins. however. was called to testify
..,o-. IN. Stanley steel investigating COM
,.,.. At washington. and in his absence
n..s,ssnt McNair read the paper.
Nv Perkins's paper. IN part. follows:
While many Of our members Of
~.r-.ss have been loudly calling for a
s.o.nsi enforcement OF this law 1.-THE Sher-
he isvl by the executives, our people
va. beAn told that what they were suffer
O. from we're evil practices by large cor
nayations, and that one OF the chief rea-
vs. why the practices were evil was be-
80 ne corpOrations were very large. At
-, This question reached our Supreme
,-, ard that court has held that COM
sosn is not necessarily Illegal because II is
-.o Our business men East and West
Yen and South, IN constantly increasing
cO,bsrs have expressed their opinion that
e- --o,,rtrv cannot prosper and develop as
!. .bmlid while this old law IS in existence
millions for Destruction"
vii. our executive officers have been in
A.. sffitude stated. while our Supreme
80, has found as 10 has. and while our
S~s,ness men are almost unanimous IN
,ssjr position, Congress has refused even
- fake I'D a study Of the question in such
- as 10 ascertain whether there is any
s,,r good and worth while in the bust
.sss mans contention. Congress has
e.sdiv called for the destruction OF our
slsst business enterprises. II has appro-
s,S.tAd money 70 find out what crimes
S.se concerns have committed and what
80 practices they have INDUCED IN, but
so fsr as common knowledge goes, u has
-, fsken one step 70 ascertain what good
.sssA concerns have accomplished. and
rsafher or not there is anything OF benefit
az vslue In them that should be preserved
- ne people It's slogan has seemed TO
!. Millions for destruction, but not one
rant for construction
w Wv his strange, inconsistent situation?
=, sAsn,s 70 ne that the reason is found IN
;be men we have sent 10 our national Con
sress ID 70 the close Of our War of the
AshsIrcn American business men seem 70
ssSs taken keen interest IN public life
and affairs Merchants were governors of
states, mayors Of cities. members Of state
.rlslattIres and OF our national Congress
W. close % the war seems 10 have seen
4 dinnutiOn IN this practice. and we have
sAsn less and less OF such men in the public
service and while many OF our public
servants in recent years have been broad
minded statesmen, We md our city govern
n1ents our leSisla tures, our Congress, 70
3 considerable extent composed OF men
having no business training or experience
-rlen who have made a profession OF pub
hc ife-men who have sought the Jop
father than. as IN Olden times. having been
tailed 10 take public Office as a public duty.
Evil Practices INDUCED in.
There is no question hut that evil prac-
tees have been INDUCED in in corporate
ne Men have done things they should not
AaFA done and II is the duty OF state and
federal government officials TO investigate
end md out what these evil practices are,
mar they may be eradicated
on the other hand. scarcely a man In
public life has had the courage 70 say even
word by way OF excuse for the existence
ri .arse business concerns, and so plain
business man NAV perhaps be excused Tor
saying tina, there are at least fsw-1ust
2 faW-self-eviCent advantages that could
b urged as excuses for the existence or
tore OF our So-cslled trusts. and which
night he fair questions for investigation
81 our politicians For instance. a Con
r-sssional committee might ind II of adj
Vantage 20 the people 70 inquire:
Frst-Has the cost of articles made by
he so-called trusts increased or decreased?
Second-Have wages increased or de-
trsssed1
Toysd and better housed-more generally
EMPLOYED and better satisfied
F0urth-Havs there been fewer failures
b the lines Of business involved?
r. decreased our foreign trade balances
Sxth-Have the so-called trusts devised
vavs and means and provided the capital
for saving and utilizing waste products,
when could not have been done by smaller
concerns
Ssveuth-Is the tendency 10 have the own
sTslip Of these large companies and the
fToats made by them enjoyed by few men
or tv MANY men, Is the tendency 70 have
these corporations I'm the future create, hy
their profits. large fortunes for few men.
hs was the case In partnerships under com
1At.uve methods. or is the tendency 70 dis
u5ctc such profits more generally among
TIE people, J say IL might not be waste
Il the Dublic's money 70 investigate such
fundamental questions as these, and II, oy
zone rare chance, il should be found that
they could be answered favorably, then the
public might ike 10 inquire whether our
public servants could not find some way 10
preserve these advantages 70 the public
father than 90 destroy them
40 the present moment, while the Attor-
te} General is enforcing the avs or Con
Fress las he is IN honor bound 10 do) ana
N proceeding actually 70 dissolve large
business concerns. he is at the same time
publicly calling on the country 10 discuss
Inc question II whether or not ruthless
tompettion has not had IT'S day and the
TINE arrived for us 20 fnl some other and
LoFe cooperative principle OF business on
Nlr1 90 nr0rncG