The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-08-15
INVESTIGATING
STEEL TRUST
AN EXHAUSTIVE CONGRESSIONAL
INVESTIGATION MADE OF
STEEL TRUST
MOVEMENT FOR A PARCELS POST
Advocates Of Measure Are Ever I'm.
able to Agree Upon Provisions Of
Bill-Other Washington Notes
CFrom Dur Washington Correspondent.)


For many years there has been a
well defined movement in the country
FOR a parcel post. At every session Of
congress there have been anywhere
from a dozen to three times that many
bills intended to cover the matter.
Senator Bourne's zone bill was vigor.
curly attacked by the veteran parcel
post advocates, whose leadership is
represented by the Postal Progress
League of New York. The zone sys-
ten they declare is no parcel post at
all, and they will never be satisfied
until there is a single rate to all
points, the same as has existed /" the
carrying Of letters and smaller pack
ages for years. The establishment of
rural route parcel carrying has also
had its foes and friends, but the par
eel post people say that this in itself
does not in the leastwise represent
the parcel post idea, Despite the pop
ular idea that the express companies
have always fought the parcel post,
advocates and opponents alike of the
various measures, declare that the ex-
press companies have never shown
their hand, and that the opposition
has come from the railroad companies
the wholesale merchants Of the large
cities, and the country merchants.
Some of the bills that have been be-
fore congress aim at the purchase of
the express companies by the govern
ment, while another proposition is
that the railroads shall be prohibited
from s%ubletting the small package
privilege, and be compelled to carry
this class of transportation the same
as other classes of freight. The oppo-
nents Of the parcel post declare that
they are o standing in the way Of
better transportation, but insist that
a parcel post would be an irreparable
injury to the government, q long step
in the way Of government ownership,
and would iniure the postal system,
besides producing about fifty million
dollars a year deficit. They want
strict supervision by the Interstate
Commerce Commission over the rail
roads and express companies, and
would dispense with the latter, and
bring about rate reductions. Up to a
year or so ago the only expression
one saw in reference to this question
was in regard to the parcels post"
but now the IS" has beer dropped in
the first word, thus adding to the con
fusion Of the whole subject.
The most exhaustive congressional
investigation in recent years mas been
that Of the steel trust, conducted by a
special committee headed by Repre-
sentative Stanley of Kentucky. All
Of the giants of finance, including Mr..
Rockefeller, of Oil City, Mr.. Schwab
Of Monte Carlo, Mr.. Morgan of Pier
pontdale, the Laird Of Carnegie, Scot
land, and Pittsburgh, and hosts OF
others, have passed in turn through
the investigators is Chairman Stan.
ed for more than a year. Now that it
Is all over the most b~efuddled Of all
the Investigations is Choirman Stan
ley, who was unable to get but one
member Of his committee to approve
Of his proposed report. Dispairing Of
any sort Of agreement the committee
divided into factions and presented
several reports, all of which increased
the puzzledom OF congress, rather
than affording any solution OF the
proper method Of dealing with the
United States Steel Corporation. Mr..
Gardner Of Massachusetts, appears to
have replaced Stanley as the actual
leader among the investigators, and
the New Englander has given voice to
a sentiment that has been growing on
Capitol Hill and elsewhere, to the
effect that trust busting" Is not prov
ing an effective remedy for the ills OF
the country, at least through the pro-
cesses of prosecutions under the Sher-
man law. Mr.. Gardner declares that
the issue must soon be met whether
we mean thoroughly to dissolve the
trusts or whether We mean to recog-
nize them and make them behave
themselves. The majority OF the steel
committee are still at the parting OF
the ways. Speaking for myself, I de-
fnitely recommend the abandonment
Of the policy Of dissolution. In ito
place I hope to see thoroughly enc