The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-21
wrcKERsHAM ON CORPORATIONS

ATTORNEY General Wickershnm, in his
speech at Duluth to the Mlnnesota
State Bar Association, took more ad'
vanced and pronounced views In faVof
of the Federal regulation OF the inter
state business of corporations than any
prominent Federal official has ever
taken before His speech is, IN effect, a
spcech in favor of the Newlands bill
TO create Federal Trade Commission
for the regulation of corporate ousl'
nesses in the interstate phase OF that
business. The arguments he used In
favor of such Federal control and super
vision arc substantially the same as
Senator Neewlands used when he In
troduced his bill.
We commented a few days ago upon
Senator Newlands S bill, but at that
time had no idea that it would be made
practically an administration measure
as Attorney General Wlckersham S
speech practically makes 1t. We do NOT
believe that the Attorney General
would make speech like this unless he
had beforehand conferred with Presi-
dent Taft, and arranged to have the ad-
ministration support for what he was
about TO say and propose. Since
therefore, this Newlands proposition
is practically made a measure which the
Taft administration will support, we
must consider the Newlands bill In
quite different light from the way In
which it would naturally be viewed as
a proposition in and of itself, and com
ing alone from Senator of the oppo'
sition party. II is curious 10 see, by
the way, the intimate relations which
the Taft administration is forming with
the Democratic side Of the political dl-
vision, President Taft is receiving the
support from the Democratic members
of Congress without which his pet
measures, and especially the reciprocity
agreement, would necessarily fail. And
now we see the administration APP
parently taking up with the Newlands
measure for a Federal Trade Commits
sion. and the Attorney General of the
United States making set speech in
its favor.
The Newlands proposition, briefly
stated, is to create trade commission
which will supervise and control the
interstate business Of corporations, pre-
cisev as the Interstate Commerce Com
mission supervises and controls the
transportation of goods in interstate
shipments, whether by rail or by water;
bat chiefly, so far, by rail.
At first blush it would seem that, in
order 10 make such supervision effec-
tual, it would be necessary for the
corporations referred to to take out
Federal articles of incorporation. This
however, not being absolutely essential
is not urged as requisite by the AT
torney General, and is not contemplated
in Senator Newlands S bill. And yet
there will always be difficulties about
the enforcement of any such regulation
Just as there are difficulties in legis
lation upon interstate transportation
notably by way of employers liability
legislation, until the companies doing
the interstate business are Nationally
incorporated. We believe that even
tually this National incorporation must
come on nll phases of interstate
transportation and Interstate business
At present, however, that is not the
contention. The Attorney General con
tends for the Congressional regulation
with the provisions of the Newland'
bill. without any reference at all TO Ma
tional Incorporation And so it looks a:
| if that would be the next form of Ma
tional legislation that we are to have
The Newlands bill, either as it is o.
somewhat modified, may be looked tc
with confidence as likely to be passeC
hW tbe nresepT (iouurpss