The Washington herald., 1914-07-27
Laws to Make More Trouble.

Every business man viii have lawyer at hil
elbow to tell him what he can do and then the court:
will tell him that what his attorney has told him tc
do he can not do" Sueh according to the prediction
| of Senator Weeks of Massachusetts, will be the
state of affairs If the trade commission BILL with Its
declaration that unfair competition" in commerce
is unlawful is enacted The Senator we believe was
conservative in his description. He might without
fear of successful contradiction have declared that
something very like the condition he described exists
now and has existed for the greater part of ten
while efforts to remedy business abuses by legisla-
ton have been in progress New laws were necessary
to correct many long-standing and growing evils
but while most of the evils have been rooted out
new one appears, that of too many laws, Federal
and State, succession of enactments, year after
year, leaving business bewildered with lawyer at
its elbow" And yet Congress is spending the sum-
mer here seeking to enact more, at the Presidents
behest, that will further postpone the day when bus-
be taken out of the courts and industry
sumo its progress.
Even in the case Of the New Haven railroad
against which the government has brought suit win
ming popular approval because of the gross mis-
management of former board of directors, necessi-
ties arising from changing laws in small de-
gree responsible for its appearing in the role of
culprit. A very small proportion of the nations
business men are crooks; the very great maority Of
those at the head of great commercial enterprises
are honorable seeking to safeguard and advance
the interests of those whose investments they have
in control. Often the mere compliance with one law
renders them liable to prosecution under another OF
later enactment. The present New Haven board of
directors different one from that responsible for
the old abuses, is being sued because of alleged fall
ure to keep its agreement with the government, an
agreement based upon the expectation of securing
an enactment by the Massachusetts, legislature which
would restrictions from the sale of its Boston
and Maine stock. As matter of fact the legsla-
ture renewed the restriction and made the marketing
of the stock impossible except at an enormous loss
to the New Haven stockholders. If the New Haven
directors may be accused of breaking faith with the
government in all fairness it must be admitted that
they did so to protect the interests of their $4,000
stockholders.
Public opinion will be against the New Haven, |
because of its former record but for reprehensibl
practices of the old board the new board cannot be
blamed nor should the roads stockholders now be
made to suffer.
The government may be able to compel the sale |
Of the Boston and Maine stock at an enormous |
sacrifice but its efforts to put officials present or
past in jail will be viewed with something more than
'keptcism. OF vastly more Importance than prosecu-
ions arising out of mistakes of the past should be
he effort to prevent similar situations in future
arising out of a multiplicity of vague and conflicting
egisation threatening in Congress.