The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-Four Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1907. TRUSTS AND THEIR REMEDIES.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8095, 5 January 1907, Page 2

The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-Four Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1907. TRUSTS AND THEIR REMEDIES.

Thk fact that over £I(JiJ,W(J have been paid in fines imposed ou the various trusts in the United States, and that over six thousand indictments have been lodged against other trusts, shows that the President of the Republic has not wavered in his resolve .to fight to the death those monsters which are slowly but surely draining the best energies of the people into channels derogatory #nd unnatural. But the imposition of fines, even many times the amount mentioned, would not deter the Ameffoan magnates from their pernicious practices ; in fact if they could be assured tlyi.l by payment of certain sums they could L.3 secured from molestation of other kind, fcliGy would doubtless pay with alacrity, j jlvfr fortunately the offence of conspiracy ,to restrain trade is punishable by imprisonment, and this will in time cause finaJutiG/'v to desist. President Roosevelt, however, *.e3ogrjises the fact that the trusts will die hiA'J and that " the strenuous life " must be &£s, if he is to succeed even in curbing thei*' influence. Indecision, not as to Urn goal, but as to the path, seems to distract the presidential mind. In his iiesnage to Congress the other day, Colonel Rcosevelt hinted that lsgislatiou would be necessary to deal with the problem ; equality of .opportunity to all and a more equitable apportionment of the burdens of taxation were the suggested, to be brought about by levying graduated death duties and probably accumulative income fax. The great mass of the Americans would no dciibt find this acceptable, especially, as, \.e i,ead it, the death duties will be so heavy xo practically prevent the aggregation of .ya&, v,,talth. Though there are great and vital uili> culties in the wayol this scheme, it is infinitely preferable to inflicting fines which do not at all affect a millionaire's financial position. There is I serious obstacle to bringing them | to jusciee.by imprisonment, and that is, I that generally the Courts ' are not above briberies, ai.d •?:' one tribunal could be found ready xo commit to prison, two or three would take the opposite course, aud while finality was being reached, the trusts would continue to (loarisb and increase in power and iniquity. Equal opportunity for all has been a favourite cry with for more than one generation, but sg fkr no solution of the question has been arrived fc/c. Even in ultra-eocialistic Zealand, with its many advantages, we have not yet found the panacea fcr all evil; equal opportunity for all is a grand motto, but to reap the full benefit held out by some enthusiasts, ,t,g £a>y nothing of visionaries and cranks—rontii't need to be first attained equal tewpex&me*>fc, j tion, education and spiritualty. How many of our greatest men are those who had a minimum of opportunity and a maximum of talent for seizing and improving what advantages lay in their path. But all the same, the very attempt by a man in on* of the world's most exalted and responsible positions must surely do something alleviate the distress caused by the tryaany of overweening wealth completely idling its relations to the generality of humanity. The Chief Rnler of America is, we believe, sincere in his utterances, feat deeds, not words, will alone work marvels juaqj wonders.