The Washington herald., 1913-10-10
MAY help PASS
ANTITRUST LAWS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

whereby its price to the public or con-
sumner shaH in any manner be controlled.
any article or commodity or merchandise,
produce or commerce intended for sale,
use or consumption in this state or else
where.
90 To make any agreement by which
they directly or indirectly preclude a free
and uninterrupted competition among
themselves, OF any purchaser or con-
sumer. in the sale or transportation Of
article or commodity. either by pooling,
Withholding from the market or selling
at a fixed price. or in any other manner
by which the price might be affected.
90 To make any secret oral agree
ment or arrive at an understanding with
out express agreement by which they
directly or indirectly preclude a free and
unrestricted competition among them
selves, or any purchaser or consumer. in
the sale or transportation of any article,
either by pooling, Withholding from the
market, or selling at a fixed price, or in
any other manner by which the price
might be affected"
Program of PrOgreSsives.
The program of the Progressives, or
Bull Moose members, has progressed no
further than that OF any other party.
Representative Lafferty of Oregon will
have a good deal to do with the framing
Of the Bull Moose program. it is under
stood. The theory of the Progressive
party, as far as the public expressions
Of its members are an indication. is that
big business becomes harmful when 1t
permits the sale Of commodities at higher
prices than smaller competing firms
ha oh to La 1,T,Hav. ,a1
ditions In other words, if a trust is
able to manufacture a commodity and
sell IL to the consumer at less than the
same units Of the trust could sell il for
if dissolved. to attack that trust would
be to injure the consumer and place a
premium on inefficiency.
The Progressives are expected to favor
first and foremost. the creation Of an
Interstate Corporation Commission, which
would bear the same relation to the in
dependent manufacturer and producer as
the Interstate Commerce Commission
row GEARS toward the shipper of freight
This proposed commission would have
the power. upon application by a group
OF small competitors TO authorize the
organization Of these competitors into
one corporation with a view to placing
them in immediate competition with an
oppressive trust. The commission would
ne required 10 see TO II tnal SUCh cor
pOrations were based upon a sound CAPT
talizatiOn and so maintained under pen
2lty OF being thrown into receiverships.
Plan 10 stop Absorption.
Those regular Republican leaders who
are willing to discuss the subject seem
TO believe that criminal convictions of
directors Of corporations for violations
Of the antitrust laws virtually are i'm
possible. and that. as dissolution has
proved. in the cases of the Standard Oil
and American Tobacco companies for m
stance. utterly ineffective. the best course
10 pursue would he to gauge the nations
business in each line of industrial devel-
Opment, and prevent the absorption by
any one corporation, or afiliation of cor
porations. of as much as 30 per cent of
the business in that line.
AS the situation appears now. Progress
sive Democrats and Republicans and just
plain PrOgressives have so much in COM
mon in their antitrust views that Presi-
lent Wilson should have no great difficulty
IN enaCtinc a strong program next session
without recourse to the party caucus.