The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-26
And Guard Against Unfair Ruin.
GUS Competition
SEN. CUMMINS' PLATFORM
1t Is Embodied in Bill introduced in
Congress To-day, Designed to
Strengthen the Governments
Antitrust Powers.

| Washington. ID. c., Feb 26.--The trust
candidate for the Republican nomination
! for president, is embodied in bill which
Mr., Cummins introduced o-day, designed
to strengthen greatly the government )
antitrust powers. The measure would
provide what it is claimed would be the
first authority to limit the size of cor
porations and to guard against unfair or
ruinous competition through protracted
underselling. 1t would put into being Il
trades commission into which the present
corporations bureau would be merged
with all its present powers.
The purpose in limiting corporations,
it is set forth. is not to prevent opera
tion of business in a big way with econ
omy of production but to limit them in
the very beginning in such a way as to
leave room at least for others OF sub
stantially the same magnitude between
which heathful competition may be pre-
served The law would apply only to
corporations capitalized Mt S5000000 or
more and not interstate commerce COM
mon carriers. That the present ant
trust law would not be changed, i'm
paired or weakened is made clear by q
declaration that whatever is unlawful
under that law shall continue unlawful
and that the intent of the law is to Gre
ate and maintain competitive conditions
in trade, ito accomplish which it shall
be literally constructed"
The trade commission would be com.
,af loe -,
years each at $4,000 a year, and EN-
powered to ruploy secretaries examn-
ers, experts nd the like. The commits.
sion would inquire into the organization
of all corporations and into the conduct
of the business of all corporations or
persons engaged in interstate commerce,
and to place before the department of
justice for prosecution any violation OF
either this measure or the antitrust
law
II the commission finds that any cor
poration employs, or proposes to employ,
an extent of capital which would destroy
or prevent substantially any competitive
conditions the bill provides either the
commission of the department OF justice
may bring" the necessary suit to enjoin.
The heXibility OF this provision is in the
commissions right 10 prescribe period
within which the violation must cease.
The measure would prohibit common
directors and officers among corporations
carrying on a business of the same gen
eral character and would exclude dummy
or nominal directors by constituting the
persons really represented as the actual
directors and officers. 1t would exclude
from commerce all corporations which di-
rectly or indirectly control capital stock
or exercise any other means of control |
in any other corporation, and also cor
porations capitalized at $l0,000000 or
more, whose directors or officers are on |
the board of directors or among the olli- |
GERS of banking institutions.
Careful provision is made against the |
holding company that is not itself en-
gagged in commerce. Common carriers |
and manufacturing or producing enter
prises would be completely disassociated I
so that no corporation could at the same I
time own and operate a transportation /
line and engage in manufacturing or pro-
ducing. The law would bar from inter I
state commerce any person or corpora
tion receiving any part Of a rate or
charge for freight transportation.