The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-06
STRIKES OUT BOLDLY ALONG LINES MORE
RADICAL THAN THOSE FOLLOWED BEFORE
What Claimed the Remedy for all Evils to Which the
Nation Heir Analysed and the Remedy Pointed out
Sometimes Vaguely, Sometimes Specifically


The present conditions of business
cannot be accepted as satisfactory"
Inc reason for this is explained. in
MIR. Roosevelts opinion. by the fact
that those dealing with the subject
nave attempted to divide into two
camps, each as unwise as the other"
One camp has fixed it's attention only
u;, on ,ne need for prosperity-"pros-
perltE to the big men on top trusting
TO their mercy to let something leak
through TO the mass of their country
men below, which, in effect. means
that there should he no attempt to
regulate the ferocious scramble in
which greed and cunning reap the
largest rewards The other camp has
SO hxed its attention upon the injus-
tices of the distribution of prosperity
'omitting all consideration of having
something to distribute, and advocates
actlon which, it is true. would abolish
most of the inequalities of the distri
nution of prosperity, by only the un-
fortunately simple process of abolish
ing the prosperity itself" The tend
efcy OF those now in control of the re-
pGollcan party is to give special privi-
leges to big business and to correct
the evils of such course when they
become crying. by sporadic lawsuits
under the antitrust law. The tend
ency Of the democrats. judged both by
tnelr record In congress and by the
democratic platform, is TO abolish all
business of any size or efficiency, and
llttleness and weakness a sign of vir-
tue. What is needed is action direct
~ the reverse of that thus confused
~ indicated" There should be ap-
Piled to all industrial concerns en-
gagged in interstate commerce in
which there is either monopoly or con-
troll of the market the principles al
ready adopted lin regulating trans
Portatlon concerns engaged. in such
commerce. The antitrust law should
be Kept on the statute book to be in
voked against every big concern tend
ing to monopoly or guilty of anti-so-
clal practices. AT the same time a ma
tlonal industrial commission should be
created which should have complete
power to regulate and control all the
great industrial concerns engaged in
interstate business-which practical
ly means all of them in this country
Ihis commission should exercise over
these industrial concerns like powers
to those exercised over the railways by
the Interstate commerce commission
| ana over the national banks by the
controller of the currency. and addi-
tional powers if found necessary" The
commission should have free access
to the books of each corporation and
! power to find out exactly how it treats
its employees, its rivals and the general
puhllc. Any corporation volun-
| tarily coming under the commission
should not he prosecuted under the
antitrust law as long as it obeys in
good faith the orders of the commits
sion. The commission would he al BILE
to interpret in advance TO any honest
man asking the Interpretation what he
may do and what he may not do in
carrying on a legitimate business -
When corporations not submitting
themselves to the regulation of the
commission or clearly evadng or vio-
lating its orders are prosecuted under
| the antitrust law and convicted the
commission should have the duty of
seeing that the decree of the court is
put into effect completely" Only in
this way can there be avoided such
gross scandals a S those attendant up
OF the present administrations prose
cution of the Standard Oil and the To-
bacco trusts in prosecution which
has merely resulted in increased
prices TO the public, injury to the
small competitor. and actual financial
benefit To the trusts themselves. The
progressive proposal is definite, it is
practicable. We promise nothing that
we cannot carry out, We promise moth
ing which will jeopardize honest husi-
ness. Our proposal is to help
honest business activity. however en-
tensive, and to see that it is rewarded
with fair return. so that there may be
no oppression either of business men
or the common people. We propose to
make it worth while for our business
men to develop the most efficient bust
ness agencies for use in International
trade. for il is to the interest of our
whole people that we should do we'll in
International business. But We pro-
pose To make those business agencies
do complete justice to our own peo-
pie" Where these concerns deal with
the necessaries of life. the commission
should not shrink. if the necessity is
proved. frcs-c going to the extent of en-
ercising regulatory control over the
conditions that create or determine
monopoly prices"
1t is imperative to the welfare of
our people that we enlarge and extend
our foreign commerce. We are pre-
eminently fitted to do this because as
a people We have developed high skill
in the art of manufacturing: our bust
ness men are strong executives strong
organizers In every way possible our
federal government should cooperate
in this important matter. ANY one
who has had opportunity to study and
observe first-hand Germany's course
in this respect must realize that their
policy of cooperation between govern
ment and business has in comparative
ly few years made them a leading
competitor for the commerce of the
world. 1t should be remembered that
they are doing this on'a national scale
and with large units of business. while
the democrats would have us believe
that we should do it with small units
of business. which would be controll-
ed. not by the national government.
but by fortynine conflicting state
sovereignties. Such policy is utterly
out OF keeping with the progress of
the times and gives our great COM
mercial rivals in Europe-hungry for
international markets-golden oppor-
tunities Of which they are rapidly TAX
ing advantage.
Social and Industrial Justice to the
Wagc.WOrkers.
Referring to the opening sentnce Of
his address, namely. that we are now
in the midst Of a great economic revo-
luton" MIR. Roosevelt prsents an ad-
vanced and comprehensive plan to in
sure the rights and better condition
for labor. He gives it the paramount
place in his speech. The first charge
upon the Industrial craftsmanship of
the day." he said. SIS to prevent hu-
man waste. The dead weight of
orphanage and depleted craftsman