The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-28
MESSAGE TO DEAL
WITH THE TRUSTS
President Taft Will Suggest
Plan of Legislative
Procedure.
~ JONATHAN WINFIELD.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2s.-When
congress finishes the work OF the
coming session. and when the su-
prefhe court Of the United States
has defined authoritatively what con-
stitutes q trust, the monoplies of the
United States against which the Sher'
man law has been found to be the
only. and at best inadequate, weapon.
will not have even the useless excuse
OF ignorance of the law to protect
them.
Up until this time the governments
trust busters have been confronted at
every turn with legal chicanery be-
hind which turks the Ubiquitous and
prosecution blocking question. What
10 trust?'
The legal army Of the Chicago beef
packers now under Indictment, who
have time and time again stepped be-
hind this bulwark, have themselves
taken the first step to bring about a
binding, ironbound, legal opinion as to
what trust really is.
In endeavoring to take the question
Of the indictment of nine millionaire
packers to the supreme court of the
United States, they will, IL their
plans mature, know pretty soon just
what trust is and whether their
wealthy clients have been guilty of
trade.
No Explanation Made.
The lawyers for the trusts argue
that the government, through the me-
dunn of the Sherman antitrust law,
has taken great pains to inform the
business men OF the country that can
not be done legally. No steps, though,
they say. have been taken toward con-
structive legislation or Interpretation
by the highest tribunal OF the land, to
tell the business men of the country
what they can or should do.
The message which Is now being pre-
pared by President Taft, and which
will be sent to Congress during the
first part of December, however, will
do much to settle upon plan OF legis-
lative procedure which will solve much
OF the trust question.
The message, too, Is looked upon as
the final communication of the Presi.
dent to congress before the guns OF the
campaign OF 1912 begin booming, and
as such Is expected to deal EXHAUSTIVE
ely with all Of the auctions Of moment
now before the nation.
It Is believed that the Presidents
recommendations as to trust legisla.
ton will take for their basis the sug-
ho hoo nj
eral incorporation law This law,
however, will contain 4 specific de-
scription Of the wrongs which lead to
mOnoplies. This law is not conceived
to fix a definition of what monopoly
10. but will simply place the ban Of
the law upon specific acts which the
government experts believe will lead
Invariably to the formation OF trusts.
Officials Of the department of JUS
tics declare that trusts which violate
the law never came into being through
any innocent cooperation. Their new
Investigations. they say, have shown
that most OF the trusts now under the
ban Of the law were deliberately form
ed with the express purpose of driving
competitors out of business.
A Lawful Example.
The case of two men engaged in
the same line Of business and forming
nm agreement to consolidate is cited
by government officials as an act of
combination they do not consider I'M
lawful. But If these two corporations,
onco consolidated. conspire to drive
from business other concerns by agree.
ment to undersell them. then the CON-
bination Ia regarded by the govern.
ment as a vicious trust.
The government, too. will frown on
the corporation that makes a contract
with a retailer to furnish him a GER