The Washington times., 1923-05-23
lBERS OF BRITISH CABINET TENDER THEIR RESERVATIONS
TRUSTS ESCAPE
UNDER LAW,
He SAYS
Wholesale Grocers Hear Hot
Attack on Rail and Other
Acts by Attorney.

~eS ~ $FGAOtI0y.
A strong attack on the trans
portation and Sherman antitrust
acts as written and interpreted and
on the Federal Trade Commission,
by Edgar Watkins, of Atlanta, Ca,
general counsel for the American
Wholesale Grocers' Association, fea-
tured today's session OF the organ
ization's convention at the Willard.
Shippers care suffering and rail-
roads losing their incentive to i'm
provement of service under the rail
act; the trade commission, acting
as prosecutor and Judge" in al.
legged unfair practice cases, is
causing embarrassment and fear in
American business; and the anti
trust measure, while injuring
separate concerns, leaves great cor
porate interests unaffected, Wat
kins charged.
He also dep1ored the alleged sacri.
ficing of individuality in business
by the tendency to rush to the
Government for adjustment of
problems instead of the attempt to
work them out unhampered by
Federal restrictions.
Holes i'm Sherman Act.
The Sherman act, as interpreted
by the Supreme Court, said Wat
kins, prohibits all undue restraint
of trade, = but, the speaker declared,
it is almost impossible to say what
is lawful or unlawful in the way
of restraint. He called upon the
wholesalers to fight for their rights
and insist upon an amendment to
the act that would define just
where undue restraint" COM
menced.
How little the Sherman act has
controlled big business he in
stanced through the statement that
save for the consent of decree in
the case of the packers, there had
been no prosecution or injunction
under the law materially affecting
business methods.
Unfair Methods" Puzzle.
The use of the term "unfail
methods of competition" by the
Federal Trade Commission, Watkins
went on, is just as vague as the
undue restraint phrase OF the
highest tribunal.
You never can foretell what the
members are going to decide is un
fair" he said. He advocated ar
amendment by which complaints
would be filed against trade prac
tees instead of individuals, anC
protested against "the Fundamental
wrong of the commissions actins
as both prosecutor and Judge"
The transportation act should BIZ
modified, declared Watkins, so tha'
any railroad involved in one specific
carrying case should be suabIe,1 in
stead of the first carrier, in case
of loss, damage, etc. and so thai
the s per cent guarantee clause
and the stipulation that any line
getting a net return of more thar
6 per cent should share the surplus
with the Government. should be
abrogated.
Holds Up Improvement.
The last two clauses strife am
bition to improve service, he main
tanned
81 would have more law and
fewer statutes said Watkins
Statutes are passed by legislatures
in response to what they fancy is
public sentiment. and public senri
ment is the vocal minority. always
talking.
Statutes are but the notions OF
those who talk better than they
think.
I'VE are building an economic
Babel, where every interest speaks
different. language and confusion
abounds.
THE Government is the greatest
lender, the farmer the greatest Dor
foI ;oS,
labor, and labor wants to shackle
capital. Good business cries: Let
abolish wrong practice in American
business, and work out our own
destiny under Providence
Criticizes Credit Methods.
Francis E. Hamper, president of
the National Association of Retail
Grocers, pleaded with the whole.
salers to formulate better credit
methods. 1t seems to be the present
custom, he said, for wholesale houses
to allow far too liberal credits to new
retail concerns, while the long estab-
lished grocer finds great difficulty
in securing credit if the times are
bad with him. Cooperation between
wholesalers, he continued, would
protect both the creditor and the
older retail firms.
Another speaker at today's session
was James A. Anderson, president of
the National Gamers Association
Reports were submitted by the COM
mittees on legislation and arbitra-
ton.
This afternoon the American
Sugar Refining Company and Nc
Cormick & Co are entertaining dele.
gates at their plants in Baltimore.