The Washington herald., 1911-11-17
ROOSEVELT ISSUES
VIEWS ON TRUSTS
Continued from Page One.

sirable, to try to break up all combina-
tions merely because they are large and
successful. and to put the business OF the
country back into the middle of the eight
zenith century conditions of intense and
unregulated competition between small
and weak business concerns. Such an ef-
fort represents not progressiveness but an
unintelllgent though doubtless entirely
lweIl-meaning toryism. Moreover, the ef-
fort to administer a law merely by law
suits and court decisions 10 bound to end
in signal failure, and meanwhile to be at
tended with delays and uncertainties, and
to put a premium upon legal sharp prac-
tice. Such an effort does not adequately
punish the guilty, and yet works great
harm to the innocent. Moreover, 1t en-
tirely fails to give the publicity which Is
one Of the best by-products of the system
of control by administrative oficials;
publicity which is not only good in it.
self, but furnishes the data for whatever
further action may be necessary.
Government Control.
definitely a policy which, in dealing with
big corporations that behave themselves
and which contain no menace save what
is necessarily potential IN any corpora
ton which is Of great size and very
destruction, but at their regulation and
| supervision, so that the government
shall control them in such fashion as
amply to safeguard the interests Of the
whole public, including producers, con-
sumers, and wage-workers. This control
should, IL necessary, be pushed in exc
treme cases to the point Of exercising
control over monopoly prices, as rates
on railways are now controlled, although
this is not a power that should be used
when II is possible to avoid it. The law
should be clear, unambiguous, certain,
so that honest men may not find that
unwittingly they have violated II. In
short, our aim should be, not to destroy,
but effectively and in thoroughgoing
fashion to regulate and control. in the
public interest, the great instrumental
ties OF modern business. which It is de-
structive Of the general welfare OF the
community to destroy, and which never
theless it is vitality necessary to that
general welfare.
Grip Over Railroads.
''Tht national government exercises
control over interstate commerce rail-
ways, and It can in similar fashion,
through an appropriate governmental
body, exercise control over all indus
trial organizations engaged In interstate
commerce. This control should be exer-
cised. not by the courts, but by an ad-
ministrative bureau or board such as
the Bureau Of Corporations or the Inter
state Commerce Commission; for the
courts cannot with advantage perma-
nently perform executive and admins
trative functions"
White House officials declined last
night to comment on Col. Roosevelt's
editorial article in the Outlook. There
was impressive silence also at the At
torney Generals office when an effort
was made to get a reply to the Colonels
assertion that he was not misled by
Judge Gary and Mr.. Frick. Even the
Republican insurgents fought shy OF the
subject when they were questioned in re-
gard to the Roosevelt article.
The coloners prompt denial Of the
statements made in the government COM
plaint against the steel corporation is
taken here as evidence that the relations
between him and. President Taft have
already become distant and strained.