Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-10-23

! ton which is prohibited in the Unit
ed states under the recently enacted
antitrust laws The CLAYTON act. So
( called. expresses the matter in no IN
4 certain terms. that il shall be unIazz-
ful for aay person engaged lin CEN
/ meree, either directly or indlrectlv. 10
( discriminate in price between differ
( ent purchasers Of commodities This
. provision, however, probably applies
only 70 the United States. but if ez-
. presses clearly what we ia this caun-
. try are inclined 20 cali unfair com
petition
in Washington this matter has had
serious attention because its Empor-
. lance merits the most careful and
T paInstakinE study Action should not
be based on Impulse or sentiment. but
/ on hard facts and experience wher-
/ ever we can get them Action should
then be fast and certain This matter
has been thoroughly discussed by the
! officers Of the department OF com
merCe and the federal trade commits
sion, and they have agreed subztan
TALLY on these points.
That what we call unfair connect
/ tj0n shall not be permitted any more
! 30 foreign concerns than to domestic
concerns.
( That this or any new industry
which aims to place US in an indie
I pendent position industrfally among
the nations of the world shall be given
a fair chance.
HecOmmen GatIon will he made BIT
I the department Of commerce that con
gress, in whose hands this matter aItf-
mateIy rests. shall pass such lagisla-
tion as viii, beyond the peradranture
of doubt, accomplish these objects.
Legislation to attain the desired
result should certainly comprehend
certain important features. and I out-
line them 10 you in order to get your
advice and suggestions either now Of
later
Unfair competition should he so
defined as to comprehend the prac-
tics Of sending goods into the United
States at prices lower than those cur
rent at the point of production Of
similar qualities. quantities. and I'M
der similar conditions Of sale
The market price in the country
oil production should serve as q guide
and standard Of price
a small leeWay of say 5 per cent
should be permitted in order to cover
alHeEehces IN the conditions which
aLe always present I'D the commerce
oe1N cen TWO countries.
me Spofaoic sale OF certain goods
curing q. hI1eI period "hen clear g
u't INTENDED 70 undermine american
llt.lttstLf 7A14t4 he eAoiaaea from l1a
operation Oh me law
1H7 Ia" might ne maze eal0fc5hle
III 7teiat ways
laf a consul may refuse TO certify
the invoices Of wares sold I'D contra
Fentlon OF the law
't5} The difference between sale
price ana actual market value NAV
ne assessed as q me
tc} Inc wares from foreign con-
Germs which refuse to show their
books for authorized inspection mav
be denied entry into the United states
Id ANY American importer or
merchant who becomes a. party to q
proceeding of the character in rucs-
ton shall be amenable TO the proEis-
ions Of the Clayton act.
icy The United States customs ap-
praisers would be charged with the
duty Of discovering such under-vaiua-
ti0ns.
The question of the tariff has been
raised in connection with the build
ing up Of this new industry. think
it has been raised more theoretically
by those who have neither tile capital
nor the intention 10 embark in the in
dustry than by those who are actually
going forward with their plans The
tariff question can be left out OF our
discussion. We are not likely 10 reach !
any final conclusion in such discus T
sion To bring i'm the tariff simply
means to divide those who are inter +
ested in two groups, most of whom /
Will not be guided by the few perth /
ert facts as TO the merits Of the ques- +
ton, but on either irrelevant and i
often hereditary ground prefer. +
therefore, TO stick TO matters which ln (
this instance al least seem to me u +