The Washington herald., 1922-04-13
GASKILL WILL HELP
FIGHT ON PIRATES
Delegates Welcome Assis.
tance in Determining
Limits Of Activities.

senator waiter IL. Edge, has-of-
fered the good offices of Cohs rs
to enact such laws as will show
business how far It may go before
entering "the twilight zone of
monopolistic practices"
Chairman Nelson b. Gaskill. of
the Federal Trade Commission, has
offered the good Offices of that
body to help business eliminate
pirates and encourage forward look
ing groups"
In reply. 400 representatives OF
trade associations throughout the
country, meeting here yesterday.
assured these three government
representatives of their complete
support in furnishing to the public
business Information. encouraging
fair practices and lawful 'competi-
tion and in restraining monopolies.
Secretary Hoover Presides.
The conference, lasting through
out the day. was presided over by
Secretary Hoover. who had sum-
moned it at the request of a large
number of trade associations fol-
lowing the publication OF lengthy
correspondence between Mr.. Hoover
and Attorney General Daugherty
regarding the lawful activities of
these associations.
Mr.. Hoover said that the depart
ment of the government service
devoted to the publication OF
statistical information was in the
interest of the whole community
and that the study OF the trend OF
production and dlstributionA in in
dustry does not imply restraint OF
trade.
IF we abolish 1t we will be
bankrupt in ten years" he said.
Although doubt has been cast upon
trade association work by the ex-
posure of certain groups. he said.
the legitimate functions Of trade
associations are vital to industry
and must be encouraged. A canvass
Of nearly 1000 trade associations.
he asserted. showed only small
minority that had laid the founda-
ton Of a system for the restraint
Of trade. Big business, he con-
tinued. only can hope to keep
equally informed by some sort Of
association. and this fact has been
recognized in reorganizing the De-
partment of Commerce to make it
Of actual service to the public.
The real problem at present is
to keep from destroying the good
of trade association work in try
ing to uproot the evil. he con-
tinued. The cooperative work OF
tho Department of Commerce, how
ever, will he extended only at the
EXPRESSED wish of business inter-
ested. he stated.
speaking as a business man. Mr..
Hoover said. obviously no govern
ment official can interpret the law.
But il does appear to me that the
cloud which hangs over trade as
sociations and which we are all en-
deavoring to dispel, revolves around
tho question: Is IT worth while
skating near the twilight zone?
There is fundamental difference
in our economic life as compared
with that of the world outside,
where. the standard of living has
boen lowered. The United States
must meet II in competition L"
meet it successfully. we must per-
feet the processes and ethics OF our
business.
shou,d Publish Information.
"The trade association is public
service so long as II functions as
an educational body. To improve
business practices the trade associa-
tion should publish broadcast the
educational information that IL
rnan1harS.
senator Edge, IN assuring the
conferences Of the support of con-
ices emphasized the .hesitant at
titude of many associations eten
toward the gatheTing OF essen.,a
business Information because OF .ne
various interpretations OF the reu-
eral antitrust laws.
"In the Senate I am endeaVor'he
To have a resolution passed wherepy
a Joint Congressional commission
shall be set up through wnich
business men can be advised II
oor,air policy of procedure or ac-
tivitv is violating existing statutes
and lust how far they may CO." he
said.
"Cong.ess must give its decision
to business so that business can
help itself"
Gaskili Describes solution.
Chairman Gaskill said he re-
sarded the solution of the problem
of placing business on square
deal basis' as merely the applica-
.tion of "the competitive principle CT
organized society.
There is a desire of some eie-
ments in organized industry 20 ac-
complish what is equivalent to
monopolistic control. When a trade
association moves toward stabilma-
ton. which Is really monopoltstic
control beyond the ordinary flow OF
supply and demand. that association
enters the twilight zone. That Is
where the antitrust laws enter.
"Ail that is necessary to be SAFE
is to weed out practices tending
toward monopoly.
.isuxiuess and Government One.'
+. "I favor more thou shalts' and
fewe. thou shalt nots' in our in
terpretation of Federal antitrust
legislation. Business and govern
ment are one. Both. business men
and government officials should
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