Evening star., 1938-07-29
PRESS VIEWS ON
BIC CORPORATIONS
Press Agrees That Old-Time
Trust Has Yielded to Different
Type of Combination.

The conclusion of a report of the
BrookingS Institution, after a study of
large business corporations, that such
organizations are necessary to progress
are approved in newspaper comments.
1t is agreed that large business units are
necessary to research and to extension
of trade among foreign countries.
THE report throws good deal Of
light upon the whole question" states
The Washington Evening Star, with
the conclusion that "the right kind of
big business is the kind that looks out
best for its own best interests, for the
better it serves itself, the better it might
serve others"
1t is felt by the Omaha World-H Herald
that the report "gives Mr.. Roosevelt S
monopoly commission plenty to think
about" and the New York Herald
Tribune concludes: THE giant corpora
tions of today, it is found, rarely ap-
proach, either in actuality or in aims,
the degree of prominence in their re-
spective industries which was so gen.
orally sought, and often attained. in the
earlier years. Efforts to maintain arti-
flcially high prices today, the study OBJ
serves, would be extremely difficult"
X X
1--WE could not advises the Fort
Worth Star-Telegram, "have our high
standard of living, our low prices, our
high wages, our chronological and
scientific advance, or even our wide
spread employment, as variable as it is
at times, without our large-scale cor
poration organizations
I'm the early days" attests the Ark
ansas Gazette. 1.-The typical 'combina-
ton or trust tried chiefly to control
markets, suppress competition and raise
prices. Such policies were against the
public interest, and there was complete
Justification for combating them as
social and economic evils"
AS a reason for bigness. the Kansas
City Star indorses the idea that there
is "a present necessity for broadening
markets by giving the consumer more
for his money"
"The Brookings Institute" according
to the Rochester Times-Union, docs
not deny that big corporations may
undertake to Ak or administer prices in
a way which squeezes the consumer But
it holds that this is less likely TO be the
objective today than formerly. when
poorly integrated, catch-all trusts,
were organized with the idea of DOM
mating an industry"
The outcry against business bigness,
so far as it is not merely POLITICAL says
the Saginaw News, has largely grown
out of r-simplification. Tha, some
large corporations have tried to suppress
competition is unquestioned, but it is
a mistake to assume from his tnat it
is necessarily their bigness that is at
fault. Bigness may be necessary in
order to make possible the expensive
equipment that means economy of pro-
duction in some fields
Il Il
1T appears that the consumer is in
the saddle" remarks the San Antonio
Express. AT any rate. he counts for
more than he did generation ago, when
big business general attitude was take
it or leave it.. Todays industrialist says.
in effect, Tell us what you want and
what you can pay and We will produce
it."
THE report will excite no surprise" :"
declares the San Jose Mercury Herald,
"for all informed persons know mass
production industries and large-scale
distribution industries are sharply COM
petitive and get prices down."