The Washington times., 1913-01-22
CAN CHAIRMAN JOHNSON ANSWER?

Woodrow Wilson will be President of the Unite
States after March A. Until March 3 he will
governor of New Jersey. As governor, he has pr
forward, as his personal program for amending tn
uch-critcised corporation laws Of that State, seve
measures. He expects to pass them all. They rer
resent the next Administrations view of what Stat
laws are needed in tine State that is known as til
mother of trusts, to right the wrongs that State ha
chartered to impose upon the whole nation.
Of these seven measures which represent Gov
ernor Wilson's program, four may be summarize
thus:
Providing that corporations snail not issue stoc
on fictitious values of property, but must make g
fair, bona fde valuation
Making it misdemeanor, punishable with flint
and Imprisonment, TO organize corporation witt
intent to promote conduct any project "intendes
to be used in restraint of trade or acquiring
monopoly
Providing for the repeal of present laws authoriz
ing holding companies
Providing that the consent of the Public Utilitie
Commission must be obtained when two or NOR,
corporations want to merge.
There is what Mr.. Wilson wants to do to New
Jersey laws. Now observe that
ALL FOUR OF THE THINGS WHICH Mr.
WILSON WOULD PROHIBIT IN NEW JERSEY
ARE PROPOSED TO BE DONE IN WASHING
TON BY THE VIRGINIA CORPORATION THAI
IS TRYING TO CORNER, INITIATE, AND MO
NOPOLIZE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES OF THIS
TOWN
Read over those four Wilson propositions agar,
and note how exactly they and hit-the projec
of our own merger-organizers.
The first one is prohibition of imitation. Ye
imitation is the first aim, object and purpose of the
merger proposed to be inflicted on this town.
The second makes it a misdemeanor PUNISH
ABLE WITH IMPRISONMENT to organize cor
poraton with intent to get or try to get monopoly
II is the boast of our merger promoters tnat the,
hope to create publicservice monopoly in this town
II is their solid ground for appealing to the in
vesting public.
Mr. Wilson would lock them up for it!
Next is the repeal of the law authorizing holding
companies.
Yet our precious Maryland Virginia Railway Com
pany is NOTHING WHATEVER EXCEPT A HOLD
ING COMPANY!
Next, Mr. Wilson would prohibit merged com
panies acquiring stock. of still more companies ir
future. He would stop the octopus from growing
any bigger, even if he couldn't unscramble the egg:
already scrambled.
Note, then, that the basis from which the merge:
promoters of this town intend to build their bigger
merger, is little merger already in existence Mr.
Wilson would deprive them of that privilege.
Finally Mr.. Wilson would provide that wher
corporations want to merge, they must have the con
sent of the public service commission.
Yet a merger of many corporations, without an,
interference, or supervision whatever in behalf o
the public interest," is what our enerprsing merger
makers design.
Now, there is pending in Congress measure
which, applied to corporations in the District of Co
lumbia, would write into the law EVERY ONE OF
THESE WILSON PROVISIONS 1t is the Public
Utilities Commission bill
1t has passed the REPUBLICAN Senate.
1t is hung up in the DEMOCRATIC House, be-
cause the DEMOCRATIC District Committee will
not let it get vote.
Can Chairman Johnson and his colleagues on tht
DEMOCRATIC side of the District Committee, ex
plain just how they will square themselves with tn,
next President for botting up practically his whole
antitrust program? They seem anxious to prove tina
when it comes to PERFORMING, tine REPUBLICAN
SENATE. is the body that can stand by the Wilson
program while the DEMOCRATIC House throw
down the Democratic President-elect
Can Chairman Johnson explain?