Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-01


rose and his nominees and followers
and further should oppose the sup
porters of the present administration.
Concluding his indictment of 1.-The
bosses" he outlined what he styled
the specific performances of the Pro-
gressive party, in the matter of State
and national legislation. and again
took up the tariff question.
I'VE Progressives advocate the i'm
mediate reation of a nonpartisan COM
mission" he said. with power to pro-
pose revision of the tariff rates, sched-
ule by schedule. treating each case on
an intelligent consideration of it's mer-
its, divorced from favoritism and the
fostering of special interests. The
program would not be attended by
the reckless haste. the improper in
huences. the sectional party politics
which characterize our present meth
DDS of tariff legislation by general law:
and remember hat exactly the same
methods were pursued in making the
Payne-Aldrich law, which 1t super
seeded.
Our proposed method would never
d~isorganize business by a complete
change in all the tariff schedules at
n time. This is the Progressive ar
if program.
II ask all honest believers in a pro-
tective tariff, and especially all work
ingmen, to onsider the fact that this
Is the only program offering hope of
permanent we'll being; whereas the
alternative program is n of violent
oscillation between such tariffs as the
Payne-Aldrich bill made by Senator
Penrose and his associates n the
present tariff bill, made by President
| Wilson and hie fal1ourars gt,oh aC Tho
gentleman now running for the Sen
ate in Pennsylvania on the Democratic
ticket.
His Antitrust Program
"Of all the Progressive antitrust
program" he said. I'VE believe in CO.
operation among business men, among
farmers and among wage-workers.
1T is evident that the problem of all
antitrust legislation is effectively to
determine, one the one hand, what
trade-practices are unfair, and On the
other, to prevent the exclusive con-
troll of any factor essential to produc-
ton by n person or corporation or
group operated as a unit. 1t is pri-
marily an administrative problem. TIC
meet 1t we must nav adequate adj
ministrative machinery.
THE Progressives, therefore, advo-
VI II oNiOhb -
state Trade Commission and would
give such commission, primarily, three
powers:
First, the power of investigation
The commission should be able to as.
certain on complaint or on its owr
motion, whether a monopoly in fact
exists, and if it does exist. the basis OF
its monopolistic power.
Second, the power directly to pro
hibit all unfair trade practices within
its Jurisdiction. This power would
: enable the commission to stop al
, m%onopolies based on unfair and OPP
pressive trade practices. Whenever
monopoly is based on such practices
what is needed is not the right to rec
ommend that suits be brought by thu
; Attorney General, or by anyone else
What is needed is the direct power il
the commission itself to stop thu
wrong.
: Third, the power to end the exclu,
? sive control of a factor necessary t
production by an order adapted to thu
t circumstances of the particular case
The order may involve changes in or
ganization, in management, or in thu
conduct of the business. Where eX
elusive possession OF a natural re
, source is the basis of the monopoly
it may be necessary to subject it's pos
session to the obligation of publ,
3 service, that IS, the obligation to sci
/ to others a reasonable amount at rea
, sonable rates.
Constructive Program
[ "Our constructive program of anti
' trust legislation has no quarrel will
: large business organizations as such
1 On the contrary, we recognize tina
business efficiency in production ca
he attained only IN rptiUh httcinnce Or
r ganization. But we demand that tn
= government must be clothed with al
= the necessary 1--WE to crush monop
, oily with all it's attendant evils.
4. "Contrasted with this program W
have the Democratic antitrust pro
gram now under discussion in tn
9 Senate of the United States. Tha
I program proves the inadequacy of tn
n Democratic party for the present an
r the future of the nation. 1t is. and al
ways will be, the States Rights Party
the party opposed to strong Fedora
atcion, the observation-disclosures.
I'VE annot control our great ma
y tional business without power, ma
. tional power. But the Democrats dar
not use power themselves, nor let any
. one else have it. Their trust program
9 as it stands to-day, is made futile b
: this fear. Their Official administrator
bills propose a weak Federal Trad
Commission with no power except t
: investigate and report. They fear I
give the government the strength t
cope with corporate abuses. The
fear to give the commission power t
prevent unfair trade pactices. Indeed
their measure would hardly give tn
= commission power really to investi
: gate, much less to destroy by prope
Q administrative order, monopolies base
. on the exclusive possession of a facto
y essential to production.
Does Not Go Far Enough
ITO the powers of investigation an
II recommendation which the bill pre-
poses to give to the commission, so ia
as they go, we have no objection.
q is the ~inadequacy of the commission
power to destroy monopoly which W
{ condemn. Progressive ~Congressme
y voted for the bill, not because 1t rep
X resents an adequate attempt to des
with a great problem. but in the hop
that a day will arrive when the SC
= called Trade Commission will be give
sufficient power to make 1t a res
e Trade Commission, such as our ma
! tional platform promises and such a
n the bills which we have introduce
9 would provide.
q THE louise of Representatives ha
y also passed a bill supplemental to tn
Sherman antitrust act. Many of tn