Eddy, Arthur Jerome: The new competition: an examination of the conditions underlying the radical change that is taking place in the commercial and industrial world ; the change from a competitive to a cooperative basis (New York [u.a.], 1912)

342

THE NEW COMPETITION

manufacturer or dealer who resorts to tricky or unfair prac-
tices, but the law as it stands does not permit them to get to-
gether and act as a unit; the following suggestions are made
to meet this condition:
6. Remove all restrictions upon the organization of as-
sociations and combinations to control occupations, trades
and industries; on the contrary directly encourage such
organizations, encourage men to do for themselves the
things that should be done, but under the following condi-
tions :
(a) Each association shall file its articles of agreement
and the details of its organization with the proper federal
department.
(b) Its meetings shall be open to any representative of
the government who, in the performance of his duties,
wishes to attend, and he shall have power to examine all
records, files and papers, and to question officers and mem-
bers regarding not only the transactions of the association,
but their own acts in furtherance of the objects of the asso-
ciation.
(c) Power in the federal commission, upon complaint
of any party, to review the acts of the association, if neces-
sary revise and fix prices and conditions of purchases and
sales, award damages, enforce penalties, dissolve the asso-
ciation.
(d) Power, also, to require publicity and to name con-
ditions under which representatives of (a) employees, (b)
parties who sell to members of association, and (c) cus-
tomers, may attend the meetings of the association.
With these broad general provisions the country would
have nothing to fear from combinations however large.
Their influence would be beneficial, and each would work
out for its own occupation, trade or industry such rules as
would be necessary for compliance with the letter and spirit
of the new code.