The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-14
NEW TRUST LEGISLATION.

Advices from Washington arc to the
effect that the L. ). Senate Commit
tee on Interstate Commerce has about
completed. and will shortly report 70
the Senate. a bill intended TO modify
the sherman law II Will not follow
the lines sought bv Judge Gary and
other trust magnates for the supervi'
sion by the Government Of trust busi-
ness and the fixing by law OF the
prices of trust-owned or manufactured
goods. which would be socialistic and
| impracticable.
II is said. however. that the terms
and conditions upon which interstate
trade corporations may engage in bust
ness will he fixed in this proposed
measure. and that il Will follow the
recomms ndation of President Taft in
providing for an Interstate Trade Com
mission. Rumor is that the proposed
Law will also carry some stipuiations as
TO the size of trust, or combiua.
tion and as to the percentage Of ousI.
ness which IL may control in given
line. The committee has been engaged
for upwards of nine months in perfect
ing this amended antitrust law, and
unauestionablv the business world will
follow with keen interest the provi-
sious of the measure as perfected by
the committee.
We do not see in the purported sum
mary Of provisions to be carried in the
law auv suggestion that the proposed
amendment will provide for National
incorporation Of trade, transportation.
and other concerns doing An interstate
business. Perhaps, however. this is TO
be taken for granted. since President
Taft has explicitly recommended such
National incorporation act, and since
there is a recognition of the PROPOSE
tion that Congress cannot fairly and
fully leCislate upon the supervision or
control Of trusts or combines unless
these trusts or combines are organized
under National authority. 4 number of
provisions in the employers liability
act that were intended TO apply TO
terstste commerce business were inval
idated by the L. S. Supreme Court be
cause of the nncertaintv whether the
terms of the act could apply in intra
state business. and the difficulty Of
proving whether a given injury was
sustained when the company was con
ducting intra or interstate trsnsporta
tion. But with National incorpora
ton, there would be no question Of this
kind arise, and the applicability of
remedial legislation of this kind by
Congress would be unduestioned,
Besides. considerable number Of
the heads Of the great transportation
companies have declared their prefer
ence for National incorporation rathcr
than State Incorporation. inasmuch as
they have to deal now with so many
States with their dissgreeine and some.
times conflicting requirements. and be
cause they arc obliged to keep ]obbies
in large numbers of States in order to
ing legislation. These officials say that
heir comps snies would prefer to deal
with the one jurisdiction, that Of the
United States as a Nation, rather than
with the disiointed. troublesome, and
,ften meddiesome Jurisdictions in the
several States.
We consider that the recommenda-
ion of President Taft for National in
corporation of concerns doing An inter
state commerce business is decidedly |
-he most important and necessary fea |
.ure that should be embodied in any
legislation upon trust or antitrust
ines.