The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-19

ly six million and rural and non-in- custrial population of substantially twenty three million. Thirty-four nf the 125 members from the non-indus- trial States were chairmen of the most important of the hfty-eight commit tees of the House, excepting only Alp pTopriatfons, Mines and Pensions. That situation is substantially true in the present Congress.
 The twelve leading industrial States or the Union, California, Indiana, IL hnois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Min nesota, Missouri, New York, New Jer- sey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wiscon- sin, neither contributed to the mem bership of the subcommittee of the House which first formulated the Trust legislation, nor with single exception, were these States repre- sented in the majority of the confer ence committees of the House or the Senate, which practically remade the Trade Commission and Clayton acts. ct the business men in these twelve States held the majority interest in American industry. Their production Is the largest factor in American wealth, the largest maker of employ rnent for American labor.
 These States possess 'three-ffths of our voters, 50 per cent. of our pOpu- ues, fVe-sixthS of our wage-earnerS, lroduce three-fourths of our manu- factured products, and in 1915 con tributed to, the support of our Gov ernr1ent approximately $3O5, 5OO,00o of $413, 1000 of in ternal revenue tax, $SG,O0O,O0O of 41,OO0,0OO person al income tax, are the home of 102,- 900 business corporations of the 174,- 900 with taxable incomes, contribut- ing S29s25O,00O of $38,3Oo.0OO corpo- ration income tax, and they hold in their banks four billions of the five h nd of h0 nj e of the country.
 Politically inconsequent in origin ating and moulding the rule of bust ness life under which they must cpe~ rate; they possess 23O of the 435 Con gressional representatives The vast industrial wea1th-making maj ority, they are politically minority in ac- tual legislative influence. Thinking acting, and speaking collectively, they would legitirnateIy and approximately express their just interest. Unorganiz- ed and incoherent, these men are a political zero. Thus the severest re- strtctfve regulation of industry and commerce was formulated by a ma jority representation and influence which, however able, wel1-intentioned, and sincere, was qualified by neither experience, environment, nor knoW1- edge to fix the rule for the operation and development of industrial com bination.
 Business men, like every other ele- ment of our national life, require and must submit to necessary regulation. But they can. no longer afford to re- main supremeIy indifferent to the menacing mass of unfriendly and un- sound legislature originally fastened upon them, nor merely express them selves in sporadic protest, indignant denunciation, and the usual relapse into pessimistic and passive exaspera- ton. The present situation requires and demands organization for defen- sive and constructive action.
 Addresses were also made by Frank L.. Moore, president of the American Paper & Pulp Association, on '"The Paper Industry Under Existing Condi- tions,'' and by A1dred Reeves on ''The Cross-Iicensing Patent Agreement in the Automobile Industry"