The News & Observer

THE TRUST BILL—SOME SIGNIFICANT FACTS.

The Stevens anti-trust bill is in the hands of the Senate Judiciary Committee "for careful consideration." The time of adjournment is near at hand. Unless the committee reports the bill tomorrow, killing the emasculating amendments, it will die in the pigeon-hole of that committee or on the calendar. The responsibility of its death ought not to be taken by this Senate after the House has passed it by a practically unanimous vote.

In the Fusion Legislature of 1895 and 1897, Democratic members tried to secure the passage of anti-trust legislation, but the trusts were powerful enough to defeat every effort. This Democratic Senate ought not to adjourn until it has passed the Stevens' act.

We publish elsewhere today an extract from The Outlook on "Trade Combinations," which conveys some idea of the extent to which the trusts of this country control trade. Already during the present year, with but two months gone, the aggregate capitalization of the trusts organized amounts to nearly $250,000,000. There is not left a single factory product that enters into the life of the working class which does not pay toll to the greed of a trust. If "competition is the life of trade," then it must follow that the destruction of competition by the trusts will bring about in time a "dry-rot" in trade which will destroy our commercial life.

We are not of that number who believe that either State or Federal legislation alone can destroy trusts. It cannot be done until both enact stringent legislation and elect men who will leave no stone unturned to enforce the laws. But because action of both is necessary, there is no reason why this Legislature should not redeem its pledges and pass a stringent anti-trust law.