Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-01-23
PRESIDENT SOUNDS
CALL To IMPROVE
BUSINESS METHODS
Presents to Congress Seven Par
ticulars on Which Legisla-
tion is Needed
MESSAGE WIDELY APPROVED
Urges Enactment of More Articles
in Nation Constitution
of Peace"

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-President
Wilson personally laid before joint
session of Congress last Tuesday the
fundamental principles of the Demo-
cratic ADMINISTRATORS program for
dealing with the trusts and "big busi-
Less" The presidents message fell on
attentive ears and struck responsive
chord in reports of different parties,
while it was generally commended
among business men.
The president presented the case. no
said, "as it lies in the thought of the
country" reiterating that private
monopoly is indefensible and intoler-
able," and declaring that conscientious
business men throughout the nation
would not be satisfied until practices
now deprecated by public opinion as
restraints of trade and commerce were
corrected.
1--WE are now about to write the ad-
ditional articles of our constitution Of
peace said the president, "the peace
that is honor and freedom and pros
perity."
Besides suggesting the scope Of le-
gislation the president made person
al appeal for an atmosphere of friend
liness and cooperation in Congress,
while handling the problem. The
points which the president singled out
as a basis for legislation were:
1-Effectual prohibition of the inter-
locking of directorates Of great cor
porations-banks, railroads, industrial,
commercial and public service bodies.
"A law to confer upon the inter-
state commerce commission the power
to superintend and regulate the finan-
cial operations by which railroads are
henceforth to be supplied with the
money they need for their proper de-
velopment and improved Transports
tion facilities The president made it
clear that "the prosperity of the rail-
roads and the prosperity of the coun-
try are inseperably connected" in this
regard.
3-Defnition Of "the many hurtful
restraints of trade" by explicit legis-
lation supplementary to the Sherman
law.
4-The creation of commission to
aid the courts and to act as clearing
house of information in helping busi-
ness to conform with the law.
5-Provision of penalties and pun
ishment to fall on individuals respon-
sible for unlawful business practices.
6-Prohibition of holding companies
and a suggestion that the voting pow
er of individuals holding shares in nu-
merous corporations might be restrict
ed.
7--Giving to private individuals the
right to found suits for redress on
facts and judgments proven in govern
ment suits and providing that statute
of limitations should run only from the
date of conclusion of the governments
action.
Referring to the reform of business
practice, the president said in part:
THE great business men who or
ganized and financed monopoly and
those who administered 1t in actual
every day transactions have year after
year. until now, either denied its ex-
istence or justified 1t as necessary for
the effective maintenance and develop
ment of the vast business processes Of
the country in its modern circumstan-
ces of trade and development; but all
the while opinion has made beadway
against them. The average business
man is convinced that the ways of lib
the ways of success as well, and at last
the masters of business on the great
scale have begun 10 yield their pre-
ference and purpose, perhaps their
judgment also, in honorable surrender.
What we are purposing to 10, there.
fore. IS happily not to hamper or in
terfere with business as enlightened
business men prefer to do IL. or in any
sense 10 put II under the ban. The an
tagonism between business and govern
ment is over. We are now about to
give expression to the best business
Judgment of America. to what we know