The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-16

dent of strangling combinations. but to
regulate big corporations in thorough
going and effective fashion, SO as 70
help legitimate business as an Incl
dent to Thor ouGhly and completely sa1S-
guarding the interests of the people
as a whole.
ton which has gained its posltlon py
unfair methods and by interference
with the rights of others. by demorai1z-
ing and corrupt practices, in short by
sheer baseness and wrong DONG pc
broken up. but it should be made the
business of some administrative gov
ernmental body, by cor slant SupefVls-
ion. to see that 1t does not come to-
gether again. save under such strict
control as shall insure the community
against all repetition of the Dad con-
duct-and it should never be permitted
thus to assemble its parts as long as
these parts are under the control OF
the original offenders. for actual expert
ence has SHOWN that these men are,
from the standpoint OF the people at
implied in the management OF a larger
Nothing to Be Gained.
But nothing of Importance is gain
ed by breaking up a huge Interstate
and international Industrial organlza-
ton which has not offended otherwise
than by it's size, into number OF small
concerns without any attempt to reg
tIate the way in which those concerns
as a whole shall do business Notnlhg
is gained by depriving the American
nation of good weapons WhereWlth 10
fight in the great field of international
industrial competition.
ITO sum-up, then: 1t IS 7ractlcaliy
impossible, and If possible, 1t WouIo
be. mischievous and undesirable, 10 Try
to breakup all combinations, mercy
because they are large ana success
full. and to put the business OF me
country back into the mldole o. eno
eighteenth century conditions Oh III
tense and unreguIated competition pc
tween small and weak business con-
Germs. Such an effort represents ~ ~
progress but an unintel1gent' tnous l Il
doubtless entirely we'll meaning terror
ism.
Publicity Is Important.
ssS,ch an effort does not Adequately
nunish the guilty, and yet WORKS gres:t
harm to the innocent more s.,n5i.i+ ~
entirely fails to give the PupIlclts
which is one of the best by-producls
~ the system of control by ADMINS
trative officials; publicity Wnicn 10 ~ ~
only good in itself but furnishes the
data for whatever further acnon may y
he necessary. We need to formuiate
iy1yoadiafelv and definitely a poilcy
which in dealing with big corporde,.o!li,s
that behave themselves, anu WillSi-
contain no menace save what Is ne t.
earilv potential in any corpordlIoi,ii
which is of great size and very wen
managed, shall aim not at their de-
struction. but at their regulation az :
s11nervision. so that the government
shall control them in such fashion of "a as 3
whole public, including producers,
consumers and wage workers rms m
control should, if necessary De push
ed in extreme cases to the point OF
Exercising control over monopoly III
nrices- as rates on railways are now
Controlled: although this is not pow
er that should be used when 1t is pos
sibIe to avoid it ..,,.
sslThe law should be clear. unambiguoe.u Gus;
certain so that honest men may not llnu
that 11nwiIlingly they have violated It.
ssTu short our aim should be not TO de-
strov but effectively and in thorough 60
ing fashion, to regulate and control in the
public interest. the great instrume ntah-
Ties of modern business which 1t is de-
structfve of the general welfare OF the
community to destroy and which never
theless it is vitality necessary TO that
general welfare to regulate and control
Competititon will remain as a very i'm
portant factor when once we have de-
stroyed the unfair business methods, the
criminal interference with the rights or
others which alone enabled certain
swollen combinations to crush out tneir
rom r1efit0rS -