Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-04-07
GREAT BRITAIN FACES
BIC TRUSTS PROBLEM
Older Concerns Spread and Many
New Ones Spring Up Dur.
ing War
.CURBiNG LAWS ARE WANTED
Establishments Combine AID Offer
Alarming Situation tor Nation.
Labor Worried and May Demand
Standardization OF Indust -ics.
BY J. u. Mui:LpI.EY.

vi
By j. -. WHELPIEN.
= LONDON. April 6.-onc result OF the
= war in England has been the enlarge
T ment OF already existing financial and
. OF new ones The government in its
coordination OF industry for war pur-
, poses set pace which private capital
3 can hardly emulate, but II has served
MS stimulus with results only now
!, heEinning TO be appreciated.
/. trusts in England in the sense that III
+ MANY lines OF business prices we're
. comucn; VAS made la, England OH the
alleged evils of the American ,rus;s
and Legislation against them in Con
Sress was greeted with appreciation.
When the American coNcrnmcn; prose
sEted the lrpsis i was SeneraiIg
good the English people not rcalisinS
perhaps that the very things for which
existed in England. were accepted as
legitimate and taken quite as a matter
During the war several OF tho big
banks each one OF these representing
previous consultations, SSt oSethcr.
The capital represented IN the new
arrangements amounted TO such totals
that even in war time and with all
the English belief that no trusts en-
isted' questions were asked in P:.rlia-
tons were delayed for time The
one pTopoSCu trust Loaf ala arouse
real alarm was ,ha, of the milk sup
ply of the city OF London. The com
bination would have been effected
without attracting attention had no,
the newspapers started an agitation
and i came 70, nothing, This effort
told his associates When i, Vas ORGY ,i'GH
nally proposed to create an American
packing house trust. If YOU make
With the TODD Of the , Peopie they will
prediction may be said to nave s"S come me-
true TO noticeable degree. The pro
GoTs;sd h Lon milk irus, touched the
aroused effective opposition.
Shipping Lines Consolidate.
probaoly the most Important indus
trial combinations that have been
OF the war are. those in the shipping
world, Line after linz has been alb
a9temp, Of the Witt Star Line sh 10 t se
:, cure control of the majority stock OF
the The, lnterna,ional Mercantile Marine is
move would have been successful had
no, the American government inter
,.Hienesid aaishonSh the matter is not yet
-, The recent proposal OF representa-
lives OF the English shipping Industry /
all ships built and building. trans.
action Involving over 100000. 900 gives
some So ,sos .ae ass Of the vas, sums involved
a
hrst hailed as an act OF patritio,ism
. on the part OF the men who made it,
Jhere has been considerable criti-
cism of the plan lately however, and
public opinion was aroused TO combat
IT, but TO no avail There now SCENE
- DC quite general belief that the
British government ives relieved not
ct great burden it was anxious 10
OUT Of Which the i" soy srGs5 nr0 pSniS
nave made vast prohts IL control had
been retained
TENDENCY to consolidate is noticeable
and If list were to be made today of
the firms which have expanded in this
inanner during the war and the sum
Total Of the capital represented was
gwen the figures would startlc those
Tho are so complacently talking about
That there viii be an antitrust agi-
iation in England in course OF time is
cor sicerablo uneasincss over the situa-
t non; ;" niuGh can be done in England
WSi,nou, publicity that the people feel
,iheE are III the dark as 10 what is going !
N. 1t is hardly possible that tho evil |
truSi can SO 10 such extremes in Eng |
and as Was possible in America in
IL would not be possible for any cor
70. 70. '!on. however great 70 do moro
l,ariiainent Courts could not be cor /
iupted III England to the extent tina;
ago, and there are no State Legislators
~ State officials - be liousht 20 ad
vantage.
The evils OF uncontrolled trusts in !
England would be confined largely 10
me reSu!ailon of output and prices and /,
- division Of territory. or. in o,her
might oe condoncd by the English pee. /
PIE II II resulted IN the growth of homo
perez piibly increasing tho cos, of living /,
or OF carrying on in other ways but no !
cH% %nG in %ouI SeI pFoioS morr Vigorously
icing imposed upon
!; doubtful whether any monopoly
w9uld !1ng be so conducted as not TO
nF!nS criticism upon its operations and |
III the end would come an antitrust
campaign like tina, which rocked The !
: lE.I!can industrial world on is
Preyentative- measures Of legislation
are seldom taken until an evil gets out
OF hand. and political and press condi-
'!ons in England favor secrecy AS in nc /
oineT civilized country; In addition TO
iinlSs ss ,lSt,; ;he,G IS also the old Eng
must not be interfercd with. and the I
r!Sh; OF the State or OF the people as
priyaie capital is stu seriously ques-
toned by many EnglishIncn.
War Bring. Mnny Changes.
me war has hrGugh; many. changes,
Tho conduct Of public affairs has been
aroused and there IS sharp questioning
ny heavily taxed people as to the
Nay in which their affairs are to be in
hueHced by government action The full
eftc; OF this ncw blood is no; apparent;
nor is Its power yet realized for IL has
no: vet come into its own
me coalition government has gone
me power with II dangerously large
majority. one that may prcsagc a IAN
=: an carly date. for large naiorit;rs
o. mixed origin have way OF falling
70 pieces quicker than a closely welded
hnH homogeneous party Ia power by
virtue OF narrow margin. The uucg-
Ions 10 be settled in England bv lc.!s
.Auoh within the next few months are
many Nearly all Of these. questions
are Of economic character and viii
F. AFFECT the relations OF capital ana
Dor. Labor regards the big INDUSTRIAL
organization with concern unless il Is
government owned and while The an.i.
trust agitation may come. in fact II
may be preceded by general demand
FOR wide measure of Observation-Disclosures
Tor industry. based upon governmcn;
9wnership Of all public and quasi.pub.
= lic ulil!t!es.-tC Copyright 1872