The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-20

today. The business of the present day has outgrown the sherman law. It is a case of trying to squeeze an overgrown boy into. his first suit. The suit fitted him
 all right when he was 6, but it will not fit him at 26 Business like everything else. has grown with time and cannot be governed by the same rules that con- trolled it 20 years ago.
 True as this is in its working, it is a strange thing that for the first time since
 the passage of the Sherman law more than 20 years ago, business men are giv- ing grave consideration as to what effect 1t will have on the permanent business methods if allowed to remain in opera t,on. Originally enacted to prevent mo- | nopoly and unreasonable restraint oi | trade, it has been only within the last year that the United States supreme court has given a final interpretation oi the law. The great economic trend to- ward the combination of business mean while proceeded unchallenged despite the law.
 These large combinations have been permitted to grow for more than a score of years and it is futile to deny that it would work havoc on the business of rhls country to destroy, at one stroke, what 1t has taken so long to build. None de- nies that government regulation of tne trusts, if conservative and in keeping with the modern business methods of to- day. would be a good thing, but to de- stroy them for the sake of restoring son- l petition to quiet public clamor would be harmful. Indeed it is to be greatly doubted if competition can be restored The day of the small retailer is past. and wit hout them competition in any marked
 deeree is impossible.
 The recent decisions of the supreme court in the Standard oil and American Tobacco cases, instead Of clearing the situation. have served only to make 1t more complicated and uncertain. By them
 the supreme court has written into the sherman law the word Unreasonable. ''
 This interpretation, if allowed to stand cannot have any other effect It makes the supreme court the sole judge of wher an unreasonable restraint of trade exists The law cannot be uniformly applied. fo, | 1t is possible with the changing of .hf personnel of the court that it's views or what constitutes unreasonable restraint | also will change. So long as this cond,. 1 ton lasts there can be no stability to t,f business of the country. So long as the vague term unreasonable is allowed tt
 r'main In the Interpretation Of the Sher. | man law, 1t is impossible for A man te
 know with certainty whether or not ht
 IS conducting his business within tne
 limits of the law
 Many men Of affairs have realized thf periIous conditions in which the bustnas; or the country have been placed and ar, eropihs TOT some means of remedyine 1 the existing evils. Suggestions made h, mem, together with the public uttera n eel of President Taft, are to be supplementef l pv the Senate committee on interstate commerce in series of non-nartisar
 hearings, with q view to determinina whether or not the United States act,,IIv has outlived the old economic princ;n,e l or competition, the Fundamental nrinci. n'e embraced in the Sherman anti-trust l law. 'S 1T, afters an exhaustive investigation i,
 Is found that such be the case. tha cor,' mittee will in its report to Conpress ad. vise the enactment of new law. l3ott tnnse Who believe that competition is thf
 paramount principle and those who ha. I leve that combination has supplanted tt will be heard. Y
 posed hearings are among inc ,,,os+ ,,s,
 portant scheduled to take placa d,,r;,,r 1 me next session of Congress and the;r in
 nuence Tor good or bad lesislation ,s m parent to all The hearings are scbaduia, l to begin November l5. and contir,,a ., long as Is necessary. "'
 At these hearings 1t is hoped b,, tb.
 committee to develop the opinion of +bns'
 Vno are studying tho economic situatio,
 ih tnis country, whereby the pathway c
 "e proposeu remedial legislation may b,
 derstands the vast importanca n .a
 work and all who have been araaa,,o,,a ~
 10 solve the business prob,en,s ~ .,,
 present day will have every onror4,,,,..,
 10 express their views and mate s,.s~s..
 ticns Tor remedial legislation.