The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-01
The Stanley mittee

The Stanley Committee
The report of the minority of the
House committee to Investigate the
Steel corporation COMMONLY known as
the Stanley committee has been made,
and the substance of the majority re-
port is also known 1t does not appear
that any now facts have been brought
out and 1t seems improbable that any
of the reoomme ndations made viii be
asopted at this session of Congress.
The majority members of the stan
ley committee have agreed upon thres
exceedingly drastic bills, which IL en-
acted into law would be a serious blow
to all large corporate ons. would en-
courage litigation and render 1t impos-
sible for any concern to conduct busi-
ness on as large scale as heretofore.
The proposed bills provide that the con-
troll by any corporation of 80 per cent
of the output Of any commodity handled
| In Interstate commerce shall be pre-
suliptive evidence of restraint of trade.
an dthat such restraint is unreasonable.
The bills further provide that whenever
a suit is brought against a corporation
alleged to be In restraint of trade that
the burden of proof establishing rea-
| sonableness of such restraint shall be
upon the party who contends that such
restraint is reasonable They further
provide that individuals shall have the
fright to bring suit and that they shall
have power to intervene In any gov
eminent suit that may be brought. I'm
der the present law the United states
government alone has authority to In
stitute proceedings.
The committee recommends that
courts be empowered to fix the selling
price of any article IL 1t be shown in
the preliminary hearing that the cor
poration selling tho article has mos
moody or that 1t denies the public the
on ri of
The bills also invite a test of the con-
stitutional rights of an Individual,
when they seek to prohibit under heavy
penalties any person who is a member
of q partnership, or is an officer, direc-
tor or employee of a corporation which
manufacturers or sells structural steel.
railroad rails, cars or locomotives. or
who Is engaged in the mining or selling
of coal, from acting as an officer, direc-
tor or employee OF any railroad engaged
in interstate traffic. That these bills,
II enacted into law. would be most suc-
| eessful as trust busters there can be
no doubt, Some people, however, are
becoming skeptical as to the benefits
derived from the dissolution or prose-
cution of large corporations.
What Advantage?
ut would be hard to find any adj
vantage that has accrued to the Bir-
mingham district from the attacks that
have been made on the Steel corpora
ton, and consumers OF kerosene, gaso-
line and other oil products can find food
for thought by comparing the prices
they now pay for thSS& commodities
since the Standard OH sompany has
been dissolved by the cohrts, with the
cost OF the same commodities when the
old corporation was in existence. 1t Is
probable, however, that much of this
agitation is mainly for political effect
In the present campaign and the fact
that business is steadily improving UNI
der conditions which would In times
past have had a most depressing ef-
feet, is evidence that the country Is
fundamentally sound, that a new cycle
of prosperity is beginning, and that no
unreasonable restrictions will be Inn
posed upon the operation of our i'm
| portant industries
| THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK or
! BIRMINGHAM"