The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-01-20
WEATHER FORECASTS
BUSINESS THAT is "ovER-LAwED'

One of the striking utterances of Governor Brum-
baugh in his inaugural address of yesterday, was
that the State of Pennsylvania has been lover
lawed."
1--WE have gone too far ON the theory that legs-
laton is the cure of our social economic and pot-
ical Ills the new Governor said. "We have
actually made legal criminals when as a matter
of duty, we should have addressed ourselves to the
vastly more worthy task of educating people
into increasing love for liberty, respect for law
and devotion to American civilization
The truth is that practically every one of the
United States as well as the federal government
has too many laws on its statute books that either
are worthless worse than worthless in that they
place unfair handicaps business of individuals
and corporations and it should be gratifying espec
tally in great producing state like Pennsylvania,
to know that its Governor has taken a definite
stand in opposition to the modern tendency toward
too much legislation
Undoubtedly many of the federal laws that have
been enacted in recent years for the restriction of
big business were aimed in proper direction.
There were and still are many abuses of corporate
power that ought to be eliminated but in the effort
to eliminate such abuses laws have been passed that
in the aggregate, while accomplishing the desired
result to some extent in some cases. have in other
placed unjust restrictions and handicaps on
corporations that do not deserve to be thus re-
stricted
The hostility that engendered in recent years
against corporations a whole without much
consideration of whether all of them merited it,
resulted in passage of laws by the wholesale espec
tally laws of the various states which undeniably
have been responsible for crppling great and
worthy business enterprises along with great and
unworthy business enterprises.
Take for instance great railroad system which
operates through number of different states! 1t
has been compelled to comply with illegal enact
ments imposing heavy taxes, rate regulations and
other burdens which differ widely in one state from
those of another. Often these laws are framed by
lawmakers who far from being experts regard
ing the affairs of transportation companies, their
needs and their rights and the result is that the
great interstate carrying corporations are now re-
quired to obey large number of often foolish and
unnecessary statutes which so eat into profits that
there often is not a fair return on the money in
vested.
This tends toward reduction in wages of en-
ployes, the postponement of improvements and
extensions, and delay in the purchase of needed
equipment 1t reduces the quality of service to the
pupilc anu ulScouTdgeS INVESTORS from putting new
capital into the channels of commerce and industry
While there is need of laws to restrict the opera
tions Of great corporations doing an interstate
business, such restrictions should be scientifically
imposed and the authority that imposes them should
be centralized. This can never be so long as the
legislative bodies Of the various states keep OH their
books hodge podge of enactments made by non
experts and in many conflicting widely with
similar statutes in other states
If Governor Brumbaugh and the Pennsylvania