Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-07-20
Attorney General Takes Strong
Position in Sensational
Speech Before Minnesota
State Bar Association.
DECLINES TO TALK
ABOUT CASE OF WILEY
Equally Silent Concerning
Charges of Neglect of Duty
in Connection With Control
Ier Bay Claims in Alaska,
tBy Morning Journal Special LEASED wir.I

IBy Morning Journal Special lsases wireI
Duluth. Mimi. July 19.-Atter
day crowded with enjoyment for HIM
self and for the delegates to the Min
nesota state Bar Association. of which
body he was todays chief guest, At
torney General George w. Wicker
sham this evening attended GOSH
banquet" given by the same associa-
tion. There were no speeches at the
banquet. Tomorrow Mr. Wiekersham
viii depart for Hancock, Mich, where
he will make an address Friday.
That the government commission TO
regulate great industrial organiza--
tions was most desirable and might
be absolutely necessary was the key
note of the speech which Mr.. Wicker
sham delivered in the afternoon.
Efforts were made to get state
ment from Mr.. Wickersham regard
ing the Alaskan and Dr Wiley cases,
but he refused TO discuss them.
MI. W lGktANAlhht Fl'ttNil ~ tii'
meeting this afternoon was little short
of sensational In many of its fea-
lures. He declared that It was mat
ter of serious consideration whether
il would be practical TO give TO the
proposed Interstate corporation COM
mission the power 20 fix prices.
Many Of Mr.. Wickersham's decla-
rations were the most radical he has
made since his entrance into official
life. There was nothing in the
speech, however, to 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 spokesman for the
administration.
THAT some further regulation over
corporations carrying on commerce
among the states may be necessary"
he said, lis coming to he q matter of
current comment 1t has been openly
advocated quite recently by represent
atlves Of some of the largest comblna-
tions Of capital, probably as a means
of starvation, and TO preserve, un-
der government supervision, great or
ganizations whose continued exist
ence is menaced by the recent inter-
probation of the Sherman act, the dis
integration of which would be neces-
sarily attended with much loss.
"To such, 1t is case Of any port
in a storm. Better continued cooper
atlve life, even under powerful
master. than disseminated properties
and aggregated activities without
constant governmental supervision
"Bnt there are other reasons for
such regulation The federal depart
ment Of justice Is not organized or
equipped to maintain constant super
vision and control over business or
ganizations. It deals only with cases of
violation of the law.
THE activities of an administrative
board or commission would be direct
ed 70 preventing such violations, and
in aiding business men to maintain a
continued status of harmony with tho
requirements Of law
whether such federal industrial
commission should have power to
regulate prices is u matter of serious
consideration. The interstate COM
merce law prescrbes that prices for
transportation by rail or wire or pipe
line, shall be reasonable. and that no
unjust discrimination shall be made
between individual or localities sim
ilarly situated. A similar rule might
be declared with respect to the prices
of commodities the subject of in
terstatc commerce.
we have become accustomed to
the regulation of rate of transporta-
ton but the suggestion that prices
Of commodities be regulated by con-
gress seems novel and radical.
yet the principle on which the
regulation of transportation rates is
based is simply that when property
is used In manner to make II of
public consequence and effect tho
community at large, it becomes
clothed with a public USE and may
be controlled by the public for the
common good.