The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-12-07
for violations of the law as would be.

for violations of the law as would be.
practical or wise.
Such bureau or commission might
well be invested also with the duty
already referred to of aiding courts
in the dissolution and recreation OF
trusts within the law. 1t should be an
executive tribunal OF the dignity and
power of the comptroller of the cur
! rency or the Interstate commerce COM
| mission. which now exercises supervis-
cry power over important classes or
corporations under federal regulation. |
The drafting of such a federal in
corporation law would offer ample OPP
portunity to prevent many manifest
evils in corporate management today.
including responsibility of control in
the hands Of the ftw who are not the
real owners
Incorporation Voluntary.
/ | recommend that the federal char
/ tiers thus to be granted shall be volun-
i tary. at least until experience justities
| mandatory provisions The benefit to
/ be derived from the operation of great
/
! a charter would attract all who are
! anxious to keep within the lines of the
! law Other large combinations that
fail to take advantage of the federal
Incorporation will not have Il right to
complain if their failure is ascribed to
unwillingness to submit their tranSac-
tons to the careful official scrutiny.
competent supervision and publicity
attendant upon the enjoyment Of such
a charter.
Only Supplemental Legislation Needed.
The opportunity thus suggested for
federal Incorporation. it seems to me,
is suitable constructive legislation
needed to facilitate the squaring OF
great industrial enterprises to the rule
of action laid down by the antitrust
law. This statute as construed by the
supreme court must continue to be the
line of distinction for legitimate busi-
ness 1t must be enforced unless we
are to Danish individualism from all
business and reduce it to one common
system of regulation or control or
prices like that which now prevails
with respect to public utilities and
which when applied to all business
would be long step toward state So
cialism.
Importance of tho Anti trust Act.
The antitrust act is the expression
of the effort of freedom loving peo-
pie to preserve equality of opportunity.
1t is the result of the confident deter
mnation of such people to maintain
their future growth by preserving un-
controlled and unrestricted the enter
| prise Of the individual. his industry.
his ingenuity. his Intelligence and his
T Independent courage
For twenty years or more this stat
ute has been upon the statute book.
) All knew its general purpose and ap-
proved Many Of its violators were
cynical over it's assumed impotence.
: 1t seemed impossible of enforcement.
: Slowly the mills of the courts ground,
a and only gradually did the majesty OF
the law assert itself. Many Of it's
> statesmen-authors died before 1t be-
: came a living force. and they and 9th
: ers saw the evil grow which they had
hoped to destroy. Now it's efficacy is
seen: now it's power is heavy: now its
, object is near achievement. Now we
| hear the call for it's repeal on the plea
t that it interferes with business pros.
: perity. and we are advised in most
? general terms how by some other stat
ute and in some other way the evil
we are just stamping out can be cured
if we only abandon this work OF TWEEN.
ty years and try another experiment
! for another term of years.
f 1t is said that the act has not done
> good. Can this be said in the face OF
the effect of the Northern Securities
, decree? That decree was in no way
! so drastic or inhibitive in detail as ell
Their the Standard Oil decree or the
, tobacco decree But did it not stop
. for all time the then powerful move
| ment toward the control of all the
> railroads of the country in a single
hand? Such one man power could
not have been healthful influence in
the republic. even though exercised
under the general supervision Of an
interstate commission.
Do we desire to make such ruthless
? combinations and monopolies lawful
When all energies are directed. not to
= ward the reduction of the cost Of pro-
duction for the public benefit by a
p healthful competition. but toward new
ways and means for making perma
: nent in few hands the absolute con
D troll of the conditions and prices pre-
: vailing in the whole field of industry
2 then individual enterprise and effort
will be paralyzed and the spirit OF
commercial freedom will be dead
? WIN. Fl. TAFT.