Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-12-15
COURT OF BUSINESS IS
ADVOCATED BY PERKINS
Tells Senate Committee Plan
He Believes viii Solve Com
merCiaI Problems

Perkins, director of the United States
Steel corporation, told the senate inter-
state commerce committee today that
the practical way to give the country's
big business relief from existing uncer-
tainty and depression would be to Gre
ate in the commerce and labor depart
ment business court, or controlling
commission, with power to license cor
porations doing interstate or information
al business.
Violation of regulations laid down by
such commission, he urged, should be
punishable by Imprisonment of individ-
uals rather than by revocation of IL
censes.
Mr. Perkins said this commission or
court should be composed largely Of
experienced business men. Ability to
comply with conditions laid down by
congress in creating the commission and
with regulations prescribed by the COM
mission itself, he declared, should be
the test of an applicant for license;
publicity both before and after licens-
ing, should be the essential feature of
these regulations. and every company
should be required to secure the approval
by the commission Of all it's affairs from
capitalization to business practice.
Mr.. Perkins suggested that in the be-
ginning only broad principle be laid
down, with e view to celebrating and
perfecting them as conditions require.
PROSPECTIVE RELIEF.
After proposing this plan for imme-
date relief, Mr.. Perkins offered anoth-
er for prospective relief" This con-
templated the appointment Of commits
sion to study the Sherman law and the
various suggestions that have been made
regarding its appeal, amendment and am
pIification, and to report on the wisdom
and practicability of national incor-
poration act
Anyone familiar with present business
conditions In this country, both as to
domestic and foreign trade" said Mr..
Perkins, realizes that the brakes are
on. We are not expanding our domestic
trade to the extent we should. New
enterprises are not being undertaken as
freely as they should be, while Germany,
Canada and other countries are forging
ahead with their Industrial plans. The
reason for this attitude on our part
arises largely from the fear engendered
by prosecutions under the Sherman act.
THE business mans complaint now is
that he does not know when he is right
on when he is wrong; that this appar-
emily cannot be known until he Is pros
ecuated and his case reaches the court.
and that as matters now stand he does
not and cannot know as he proceeds with
his business whether he is a good citi-
zen or criminal.
SHOULD GO SLOW.
Serious as this phase of the situation
is, it is all important that we do not
commit ourselves 10 a permanent ma
tional policy until such commitment can
be made In a calm, dispassionate frame
of mind While this is true, immediate
relief is clearly. desirable, If such relief
can be provided along conservative lines.
I'VE are now collecting taxes from
corporations which in itself is the first
step in establishing the principle of pub
LEFTY between corporations and govern
ment 1t ought not to be unwise or diff
ficult, therefore, to Immediately expand
the powers of the department of COM
merce and labor with regard to publicity
and control, sufficiently to create board
of control with power to license such
interstate companies, as in the Judg-
ment of such board are clearly working
for and not against public interest.
TN other words, in such cases, sub
stitute a board of this sort for long
drawn out law suits. This would have
the immediate effect of placing any COM
pany able to secure such license in po-
sition where it would know that 1t was
proceeding along lines not In violation
of national laws or federal authority
Such concerns as could not or did not
wish to meet this test would then have
no right to complain if they were pro-
ceeded against under the Sherman law.
IMMEDIATE POLICY
I'm this manner immediate relief could
be provided. At the same time the ques-
tions surrounding the Sherman law and
national Incorporation for interstate in
dustriaI companies would be under an in
yestigation that would be proceeding in a
calm an dorderly manner, with a view
to reaching ultimately permanent solu-
ton of the whole question.
Meanwhile" Mr.. Perkins concluded
uncertainty would be dispelled: yet
we would only be building up our present
department of commerce and labor and
bureau of corporations into live, vital
bureau-much in the same way that we
gradually built up the interstate COM
merce commission by extending and en-
Ia rofnu f4s novvars from time to time"