The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-11-17
ny Associated Prssp.

trusts IS discussed anu d TouleuS ~
meet the present situation is sug-
geted by Theodore Rooevelt in an edi-
torial entitled 'The Trusts, the Peo-
pie and the Square Deal" published
today in the Outlook.
THE suit against the steel trust by
the government" Mr.. Roosevelt be-
gins, has brought vividly before our
of our chaotic government policy as
regards business" He concludes with
the following recommendation:
'The national government exercises
control over interstate commerce rail-
ways and IT can in similar fashion
through an appropriate governmental
body exercise control over all indus
trial organizations engaged in inter-
state commerce. This control should
be exercised not by the courts but by
an administrative bureau or board
such as the bureau of corporations or
the interstate commerce commission;
for the courts cannot with advantage
permanently reform executive and ad-
ministratiye functions"
He WAS NOT MISLED.
Before taking up his general theme
Mr. Roosevelt pauses to deny that the
representatives of the steel corpora
ton rc:sled him while he was presi-
dent. Referring to the suit against
the steel trust, he says:
the acquisition by the steel corpora
ton of the Tennessee Coal and Iron
Company; and it has been alleged on
the authority of the government off,
cials engaged in carrying on the suit,
that as regards this transaction was
FnisIed- by the Representatives Of the
steel corporation and that the facts
we're not accurately or truthfully laid
before me. This statement is not COR
rect. I believed at the time that the
facts in the case were as represented
to me on behalf of the steel corpora
tion and my further knowledge has
convinced me that this was true. j
believed at the time that the repre-
sentatives of the steel corporation told
me the truth as to the change that
would be worked in the percentage of
the business which the proposed ac-
quisition would give the steel corpora
tion, and further inquiry has con-
vinced me that they did so. l was not
misled The representatives of the
steel corporation told me the truth as
10 what the effect of the action at
that time would be, and any state
ment that l was misled or tnat the
representatives of the steel corpora
tion did not thus tell me the truth rs
to the facts is itself not in accordance
with the truth.
SITUATION, NOT CHANGED.
TT has been alleged that the pur-
chase by the steel corporation of the
property of the Tennessee Coal and
Iron Company gave the steel corpora
ton practically a monopoly OF the
southern iron ores-that is, of the iron
ores south of the Potomac and the
Ohio. My information, which / have
every reason to believe, is accurate and
not successfully to be challenged, is
that of these southern iron ores the
steel corporation has, including the
property gained from the Tennessee
Coal and Iron Company, less than
twenty per cent-perhaps not over six
teen per cent. This is a very much
smaller percentage than the percent
age ii holds of the Lake Superior ores
which, even after the surrender of the
Hin lease, will be slightly over so per
cent According to my view, there
fore, and unless-Thich I do not be-
lieve possible-7these figures can be
successfully challenged, the acquiSi
tion of the Tennessee Coal and Iron
i -Company's ores in no way changed
the situation as regards making the
steel corporation monopoly. The
showing as to the percentage of re-
luction of all kinds of steel ingots and
steel castings in the United States by
the steel corporation and by all other
manufacturers respectively makes an
even stronger case. 1t makes the case
even stronger than I put it in my
testimony before the investigating
committee, Tor was ScrupulOuSIy
careful to make statements that erred,
II at all, against my own position"
Returning to the main subject, Mr..
Roosevelt continued:
A HOPELESS TASK.
ITO attempt to meet the whole prob
lem not by administration govern
mental action. but by succession of
lawsuits is hopeless from the stand
point of working out a permanently
satisfactory solution. Moreover, the
results sought to be achieved are
achieved only in extremely insufficient
and fragmentary measure. by breaking
IN all big corporations, whether they
have behaved we'll or i'll, into a num-
ber OF little corporations which. it is
perfectly certain, will be largely and
perhaps altogether under the same
control. Such action is harsh and mis-
chievous II the corporation is guilty
of nothing except its size and where
as in the case of the Standard Oil
and especially the tobacco trusts, the
corporation has been guilty of i'm
moral and anti-socia1 practices, there
is need for far more drastic and thor
oughgoing action than any that has
been taken under the recent decree OF
the supreme court. In the case of the
tobacco trust, for instance. the settle
ment in the circuit court, in which
the representatives of the government
seemed inclined to concur, practically
leaves all of the companies still sub
stantially under the control of twenty
nine original defendants. Such re-