Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-09-05
rROra williams

Des Moines, Sept. 5.-Now that the
senate also has passed the bill which
provides for q federal trade commits
sion to enforce tho new legislation IN
| tended to preserve competition in the
American business world, 1t will be re-
called that the strongest statement or
| the absolute need of this commission
ever made, the statement which SO
thoroughly aroused the public to its
necessity that action was taken, was
embodied in the report from the SEN
ate committee on interstate commerce
some two years ago, as prepared by the
senior senator from Iowa. BY him ana
many others these new antitrust biils
have ben regarded for long time as
he most important work before con-
gress. When he was tainted, early In
! July. for insisting on having members
| of the senate when the bills We're un-
der discussion he said that Il shall
90 every thing in my power 10 eniisl
| the interest of senators when they are
considering these measures. because
they do touch, they do affec. more re-
lations in the commercial Efe OF the
country than any other proposals ever
made at one time AT a later date,
speaking in line with the famous re-
port on trust inyestig atoms he had
made, he advocated the commission
form of administering the antitrust
laws as against having them admins
tered by the courts. and said
Il would rather take my chance with
a commission at all times under the
power of congress. at all times under
the eye of the people, for the attention
of the people is concentrated TO a far
greater degree upon the commission
which is organized to assist IN the reg
ulation OF commerce or to administer
the law regulating commerce, than II
has upon the abstract propositions,
even tho they be fun OF Importance,
argued in the comparative seclusion
OF our courts"
That was a fair statement of the
major argument for the establishment
OF commission, and it has been acted
on. Somewhat amplifying on this
proposition he said:
~ know, or feel that know, that a
commission might be very helpful 10
the people Of this country in the adj
ministration of the antitrust laws l
feel profoundly that if we had estab-
lished in 1890 a trade commission in
connection with the antitrust law of
that year we would not now be plagued
with the great combinations. the mon
opolistic aggregations OF which we are
now complaining. do not believe it
would have been possible for those
consultations 10 have come into eX
istence under the eye Of trade COM
mission, assuming. of course. that the
commission is composed OF honest and
Z ia; T
FIVE men were either unfaithful to the
trust reposed in them or Il their eco
nomic thought or trend of thought was
contrary to the best interests of the
people, the commission might do great
harm. realize that, just as 1 realize
that the trend of economic thought
upon the part of some judges has done
and Will continue TO do great harm, or
| rather will continue TO render inef-
fective 10 degree a statute that il
was believed by its authors would ex
terminate the lnonopoiies then in ex-
isterce and prevent esta blishment of
others
There was great deal of discussion
over the section which was intended to
give the commission the power to pre-
vent unfair competition" and around
ing of the many debates There was
also great deal of discussion about
attaching criminal penalties TO the
bills for their enforcement AS touch
ing these topics Senator Cumuains said
IN the senate on Aug. %:
Il fear that the Dill as it came from
the house. SO far as sections .. and
are concerned. is grossly inadequate.
| fear that il creates refuge for law
. breakers and monopolists l am not
one Of the men who have been opposed
10 attaching criminal penalties 10 Of
lenses against the law. l thing there
are some regulations of commerce
which we ought not to enforce thru
the criminal courts, but there are other
regulations that we ought TO SO en-
force. Ii all depends On whether we
can know what the law IS with the
certainty tina, a criminal Jaw should
always exhibit"
In 2 colloquy with Senator Reed
over the question of defining, the pro-
hioited business methods, Senator
( Cunmins read the last qualifying part
as 70 selection OF customers Of the sec
. ton and said:
That legaiizes : form Of piracy
which has been well recognized as un-
fair competition, and would destroy in
large measure, the efficiency Of the
section, even If 1t contained no other
exception. I can not be wrong when I
assert that If unfair cornpetitiou
means what We have been led 10 be-
lieve il means. Z il means what the
supreme court has said il means. what
every writer on the subject mas said
/ u means, what the statutes Of other
countries have declared It means, then
every instance Of local price cutting