The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-20

rental, storage or transportation, or pre-
venting or 1essening competition in or
substantially controlling within any
particular district, or generally, produc-
ton, Manufacture. barter, sale, trans
portation, insurance or supply or other
wise restraining or iniuring commerce "
Thus a combine, as defined, must pro-
coed from the agreement of two or
more. persons. The agreement may be.
actual or stacit, expressed or, implied. A
gentleman s agreement, =. the result of
q nod or ,aswink, as among good friends,
will become as vicious, as, easily attack
ed, as any other. t.NNA sAA3N,{k 8s, 'l
IThescourt is empowered and directed
I'd Restrain and prohibit tile formation
and file operation of combipes~ In. do
ing sol it may act on its own ]notioh or
upon complaint laid before lit. 8E,Sell
where it has no jurisdictioh,sto make
any order concerning a mattef seolfring
only Incidentally before it the yboard
may make findings and declarations
upon the matter which may call for ac-
tion by parliament. or for the condem-
Nation of the public. BY this means,
too, the court will be enabled to state
principles of business ethics and to pave
the way for extensive reforms in bust
ness morals. 1t may order any company
or sperson to cease any act or practice
which, III whole or in part constitutes
the operation of a combipe as defined
| or the processes of the formation OF
such combine.
Disobedienee of the court s orders
constitutes indictablc crime with pen
| atty of $1,000 for each day IS continued
disobedicnee or imprisonment for tive
years. And every director or officer OF
| a company who assents to or is in any
] way a partner to such disobedience il
J personally liable for he full penalties
cumulatively with his company and hi
co-directors or associate officers.
Possibility of profiteering through TIL
tariff is not overlooked. If the eour
finds that any improper operations of.
combine are facilitated by duties of Gus
toms or by patent rights the govern
Inent may place on the free list the ar
ticles of commerce in question or reduc
the duty on them.
The jurisdiction of the court owe
profits and prices is plain. 1t has. powc
and is directed to restrain and prohibi
unreasonable accumulation or withhold
ing from sale. 1t can compel the offer
ing of stocks of cold storage or otfe
establishments for sale. 1t can restrai
the making or taking of unfair profit
and also all other practices with respee
to holding or disposition of goods as,
the opinion of the court, are calculate
, to enhance cost or price.
The difficulty of defining 'tprofteel
ing is neatly overcome. The court
made supreme and final arbiter as
| all matters of fact, and an unfair pro
: it is declared to be q. profit which til
| court declares to be unfair. The coul
MAJ require any dealer, holder or stoI
or to make regular or other returns III
der oath. as to the quantities ON han
, purchased, sold or otherwise dealt wit
[ and as to cost, including every fact,
!, or element entering into cost, and sci
r ing price, and any other relevant info
nation.
r Its examiners may enter busine
/. premises, examine books and record
t and interrogate under oath any perso
: found on such premises Obstruction
/, refusal to answer is indictable erin