The Washington times., 1911-12-13
GEORGE ". PERKINS
URGES CREAT|ONOF
A BUSINESS COURT
Tells Senate Committee Fed
eral Licensing Is
Necessary.
tcontinued from First Page.l

u
commit ourselves to a permanent ma
tional policy until such commitment can
be made in q calm, dispa ssionate frame
Of mind, the people having had ample
Of the case. While this is true, imme-
diate relief Is clearly desirable, IL such
relief can be provided along conserva-
tive lines,
Taxing Corporations.
I'VE are now collecting taxes from cor
porations, which in itself is the first
step In establishing the principle of pub
licity between corporations and govern"
ment. 1t ought not to be unwise or
difficult. therefore, to Immediately ex-
pand the powers of the Department of
Commerce and Labor, with regard to
publicity and control, sufficiently to Gre
license such interstate companies as. in
the Judgment of such board. are clear
~ working for and not against public
interest. In other words, in such cases
substitute M board Of this sort for long.
the immediate effect of placing any
company able to secure such license In
position where 1t would know that 1t
was proceeding along lines not in vio-
lation of national laws or federal au-
thority. Such concerns as could not
or did not wish to meet this test would
then have no right to complain II they
were proceeded against under the sher-
"In the above described manner imme-
diate relief could be provided. At the
same time the questions surrounding
the Sherman law and national incor-
poration for interstate industrial COM
panies would be under an investigation
that would be proceeding In calm
and orderly manner, with view or
reaching ultimately permanent solu-
wRols Wond be- dIspeled yet we
would only be building up our present
Department of Commerce and Labor
and Bureau Of Corporations into live,
vital bureau-muGh IN the same way
Commerce Commission by extending
and enlarging Its powers from time to
time.
Must Ascertain Cause.
Mr. Perkins held that 1t was just as
important to get at the cause of the ex-
listing situation in business as 1t was
for a physician to arrive at a correct
diagnosis OF his patient.
''The enormous development of inter-
communication In the last quarter of
century" was the potent underlying
suit Of this was that men were enaoied
to reach out through one kind of coin
munication and another and extend
their activities to degree never before
The one man more than any other re-
sponsible for the troubles of today, il
troubles they could be called, he de-
clared. was Thomas A. Edison.
The Case Of the Telephone.
He illustrated the marvellous possibin-
ties Of the use Of the ong-distance
phone and said he attended a dinner 1T
New Yorl, the other night at which one
Of the guests was called out twice IN an
hour to the phone. 1t developed that he
chicaso Chi e that the chiosgo ma ha called
up other business men in Denver and
st. Paul, and then that the Chicago
men had conferred with the man at din
ner In New York again-all In the space
UP.
He said that Mr.. Rockefeller or any
of the other great captains OF industry
did not have at their command in for
And don't see that the end is yet"
said Mr.. Perkins.
put in the Hall Of Fame. and when a
business man comes along and applies
the invention practically we put him in
tail It seems 20 me that is the situa-
ton which we must handle"
He said development in intercommuni-
cation had made such strides that it
had made the execution Of great under
hakings possible. Development had been
80 rapid that It could not be dealt with
like the natural growth Of a business
Combination had been facilitated
and men were enabled to use much
capital that was not OF their imme-
diate environment.
Merchants New Position.
..The merchant today occupies a very
different relation to the people from
the merchant of our grandfathers
time" said Mr.. Perkins.
An anomaly of the present situa-
tion, the witness said. was that while
railroads, banks, food and many Of
the products Of business. are more
and more under Federal CONTROL busi-
ness Is left to itself to get on as
1t can under changed conditions.
'The time Is ripe to make a care
full beginning of some sort OF regu-
atHn Susness 81 sad Mr faa Peqkns
Then. Mr.. Perkins outlined his
plans for immediate and prospective
relief and summarized his views on
present-day business, difficulties. He
was then questioned at length by
members of the committee.
In answer to questions by Senator
kins said he did not think that the MEN
who framed the Sherman law gave suf-
tficient thought to the underlying causes
that were at work.
Predicts Incorporation.
1T believe that we will have to come
eventually to national incorporation OF
large business enterprises" Mr.. Per-
ktns stated. 81 don't expect it can
come about at once, But to e>pabd the
power of the Bureau Of Corporations to
issue Federal licenses would not be too
great a step in advance. Certainly. re-
lief from uncertainty is most desi--
able"
Senator Clapp wanted to know II
there was anything in the Sherman law
TO embarrass one who wanted to start
q boot and shoe factory. Mr.. Perkins
said he believed there was, depending
on the percentage of the business done
When II developed to a point whert
there Was doubt about the percentage
of business done, there would be
cmbaI rassment.
He held that business men had had
their moses to the grindstone' and
had been so absorbed that they had
overlooked their responsibilities to the
putlic. But in the last five years there
had been a great awakening.
One of the phases of the question
discussed related to the Limitation OF
Capitalization. Senator Cummins
questioned Mr.. Perkins about this ant
whether seven companies with $780,
100000 each, capital, would not b,
halter than one of 81, 90, 900, ,OO0 TIL,