Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/228

 214 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

trust." The aim seems clearly to have been the prevention of combination and concentration. The first movement toward combination was the true trustee agreement, under which the management of several formerly independent concerns was given over to a central body of trustees who issued trust certificates which were exchanged for the stock of the formerly independent concerns. Whenever this was done it was almost certain that some of the plants were closed, as in the case of the original whisky trust. This was considered injurious by the popular mind, since it prevented the full effect of competition ; and the anti-trust enactments resulted. The Industrial Commission in Vol. II of its report, through J. W. Jenks, expert agent, has col- lated all the anti-trust laws, together with the leading cases decided under them. The general character of these laws thus brought together may be readily ascertained, and the striking feature about them is their similarity in phraseology and aim. To illustrate the general type : Arkansas prohibits all combina- tions which tend to lessen free competition in importation, pro- duction, or sale of goods ; or to regulate or fix prices. 1 Illinois prohibits any trust, pool, combine, confederation, agreement, or understanding for regulating or fixing the price of goods, or to fix or limit the quantity to be made or sold ; also owning or issuing trust certificates. 2 Missouri prohibits creating or main- taining a trust, pool, combine, agreement, confederation, or understanding to regulate or fix prices on goods, or to fix or limit the quantity to be made or sold. 3 Nebraska prohibits con- federation to regulate prices on goods, or to fix the quantity to be made or sold; combinations to prevent competition between grain dealers. 4 New York prohibits combinations creating monopoly in the production or sale of any commodity of com- mon use, or restraining competition in the supply or price. 5 This is sufficient to show that the popular mind considered any

1 Laws, 1897, Act 46, and 1899, Act 41.

'Laws, 1891, p. 206; 1893, P- 182.


 * Laws, 1891, p. 186; 1899, pp. 316, 318, 320.

4 Laws, 1897, chaps. 79, 80.

s Penal Code, sec. 168 ; Laws, 1897, chap. 384, sec. 7; 1899, chap. 690.