Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-06-24
CURLING the Combines.

1t is simply a coincidence that pub
licity should be given Simultaneous!
to the special report submitted by Az
torney General Wickersham, showing
that the trust prosecutions OF the las'
two wears have cost the government
for special counsel alone. approximate
" 100000 and to an outline OF the
bill in course Of preparation by Sena-
tor Newlands, OF Nevada, for the bet
ter regulation Of the great commercial
and Industrial combines. Senator
Newland's measure Is based upon the
assumption that. notwithstanding the
immense cost, directly and indirectly
to the government and to the business
of the country, attempts to make the
present antitrust law workable have
proved futile: that. in fact. the law IT.
self has broken down.
Senator Newland's plan for curbing
the combines and solving the trust
problem in general is somewhat IN line
with that recommended by Chairman
Gary, of the United States steel cor
poration, while testifying recently be-
for a congressional committee. 1t
would provide for the creation Of an
interstate Industrial commission. Of
which the present bureau Of corpora
tons would be The nucleus. Five COM
missioners would be appointed by the
president. Of whom the commissioner
Of corporations would be the ex- officio
chairman. The provisions OF the act
would apply to all corporations doing
an interstate business amounting to
81, o0O, 600 In the senator's opinion, 1t
would be 4 mistake to load the COM
mission up with the regulation or
smaller corporations. but he does not
explain at this point how class legfsia :
ton, which would be unconstitutional,
Is to be avoided. AS a condition OF en-
gaging IN interstate trade, the act
would compel such corporations TO be
registered by the commission after
making such statements as to their n
nances and operations as might be
required by THE commission In the
opinion Of Senator Newlands. "the dis
tinction OF being registered would be
sought by all such companies and TO
lack 1t would be regarded as an ind1-
cation that there is something wrong.
One thing that would be wrong. under
the operation az this act. would be the
inability Of n concern doing. say.
business Of s4,999.995, to obtain regis
tration.
It appears to be inevitable that the
gOvernn ent shall take the great COM
bines In hand in larger way than 1s
possible under present conditions and
that the process shall be one OF regu-
1ation which eventually must amount
to control in the sense that the rail-
reads and national banks are now con-
troled. But this control must be gen.
eral. not partial. over interstate bust
ness. There can not be one law for
the larger and another for the smaller
concern. The purpose Of any act or
regula ton or control that can with
stand the scrutiny of the supreme
court later on must be to give wider
freedom to the legitimate business OF
the country. not to place burdensome
or unbcarable restrictions upon 1t.
Senator Eewland's bill 1t IS only fair
to say. is at present only in the rough.
1t mus. he subjected to careful revis-
ion before It can he accepted even as
the framework OF comprehensive
trust regulating measure. But the fact
that it has been brought forward AZ
the moment when the public is study
ing the cost Of combine curbirg under
the present system will win over to the
PURPOSE It lias in view careful conS'd-
Grafton as VOL as sympathy. Trust
legislation should be made not only
less expensive but more effectual.