120 MAURICE H. ROBINSON 



Dill and John R. Dos Passos. The commission itself recom- 

 mended a federal corporation law, only in case federal super- 

 vision and taxation proved inadequate, "to properly control 

 the great corporations and combinations." Such action, in- 

 volving, as it would, radical changes in the government and 

 the courts, it hopes may be avoided by federal supervision 

 and taxation. To accomplish this it is proposed to establish 

 a bureau of the treasury department, to register all corpora- 

 tions engaged in interstate commerce, to secure the reports 

 necessary to tax their franchises, to inspect their books, to see 

 that their accounts are properly kept, and to collate and pub- 

 lish information in regard to their operations for the use of 

 congress. It is thought by the commission that such pro- 

 vision "will be sufficient to remove most of the abuses which 

 have arisen in connection with the industrial combinations." 

 In addition to this recommendation and to those formulated 

 in the preliminary report, the commission further recom- 

 mends, (1) that the anti-trust laws be strictly enforced; (2) 

 that the policy of making local cuts in prices and discrimina- 

 tions to individuals be made a penal and criminal offence; 

 (3) that provisions similar to the anti-stock-watering laws of 

 Massachusetts be enacted and enforced. On the whole, the 

 recommendations of the commission are less radical than 

 might have been expected. It is improbable, however, that 

 the program proposed will be adopted by congress. The chief 

 value of the recommendations consist not in themselves, but 

 in their effect upon the public mind and upon future legis- 

 lation, 



