Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-09
BAY STATE
HITS THE
COMBINES
ANTITRUST LAW is DRASTIC
Why Can't Georgia Adopt One
Like II

1lSSen anIl-QlScTlHllndlIoh OllI'
which received the governors sigma
tme this week, is by far the most
radical antitrust legislation in force
in any New England state. The
working OF the new law will be fol-
lowed With interest, not only because
L is the first measure of this nature
to be adopted in the east, but also
because it was framed by one of the
lest known trust-fghters in the
country along lines which the attor-
uey General of Massachusetts pro-
nounced constitutional.
The provisions of the new law are
so sweeping that the corporation
which persistently violates them does
so at the risk of being ousted from
Massachusetts. One section of the
law reads:
Amy person. firm, association OF
corporation, foreign or domestic, do
ing business in the commonwealth
and engaged in the production, manu-
factUre or distribution of any conf
modify in general use, that shall ma
liciously or for. the purpose of de-
stroying the business of a competitor
and of creating monopoly in any To-
cality discriminate between differen
sections, communities, towns or cit
| les of this commonwealth or between
| purchasers by selling such commOd
| ity at a lower rate than is charged
| for such commodity by the vendor
in another section, community, tow:
or city, after making due allowanc,
| for the difference, if any, in the grade
or quality of the commodity and thu
cost of transportation, shall be deem
ed guilty of unfair discrimination
which is hereby prohibited and declar
ed unlawful.
Another section prohibits the com
bining by any firms, corporations o
associations or individuals for tn
purpose of destroying the business 0
a competitor. The penalty for viola
ton of any provision of the law is ;
fine of not less than $500 nor NOR
than $4,000, or Imprisonment for no
less than one month or more than on
year, or both fine and imprisonment
In the case of corporation the fin,
only, of course, can be imposed.
One of the most drastic provision
of the law is this:
IF any corporation is found guilt
of violation of this act such findin,
shall cause forfeiture of all the priv
ileges and right conferred upon tn
corporation by general or special law
Of the commonwealth and shall ba
its right to do business in this com
monwealth"
The attorney general is charge
with the duty of ousting from tn
state any convicted corporation which
shall attempt to continue in business
in Massachusetts.
The Hisgen INSTRUMENTATION bill
takes its name from the Trainer. Thos
l.. Hisgen, of West Springfield, ont
of the principal Independent oil dis
tributors in the United States. Mr.
Hisgen first introduced the bill sD
years ago. 1t was defeated but has
hobbed up serenely each year.
For decade or more Mr. Hisgen
who is president of the Fourth Broth
ers Independent Oil company, ha,
| been fighting the Standard Oil com.
pany in the territory between Albany
New York, and Boston. He alleges
that in some instances his competitor
has offered to give oil to his custom
ers free of charge. Within a few
months the Standard Oil company has
delivered kerosene oil in outlying dis
tricts at s cents gallon, retail, and
provided an oil can free.
Whatever the cause, there is no dis
putting the fact that wherever Mr..
H1sgens company has sought to do
business kerosene has sold at ridic-
ulously low prices. Mr.. Hisgen's theo-
ny is that the Standard Oil company
Will advance prices in the competi-
tive districts sufficiently to permit
MIN to make living profit, rather
than to sell at a loss millions of gal
Ions of oil in the non-competitive
districts of Massachusetts.
While the nti-discrimination law is
aimed primarily at the Standard Oh!
company, competent attorneys say
1t is equally applicable to tobacco,
hnn 81 4