The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-04-03
WORK OF The LAW
WILL Be QUICKER
Warfare Of the Administrator
4 Against Trusts to Be
Expedited.
THE NEW LAWS GIVE HELP
"
Railway Merger and Beef Trust Cases
Will Be Brought to Early conclu-
sion-Better Legal Talent
Assured.
NEW LAWS 1--WE HELP

sSiOn-6eIItT ISSdi ~ I'd
r Assured.
Washington, April 1.-The govern
alentf has already made progress IN It's
fight against the trusts under the legls"
| lation of the recent session of congress-
| The first practical utilization of that
| legislation was made within thirty
| days after the passage Of the act In
question. In another feature of thet
antitrust legislation the government
has made use of it's new-found power
still more promptly.
One of the antitrust bills when
passed congress toward the close OF the
| session, practically without discussion.
and without attracting unusual atten-,
! ton, was the bill providing for expe-I
diting cases in the courts brought undert
the provisions of the Sherman anti!
trust law and the interstate commerce
law. That bill was recommended by
the attorney general and was unop-s
posed, everybody conceding the benefit
of the speedy ending of trust litigation.
Under the authority of that act the
attorney general has brought the Greet
| Northern Securities case to a speedy
trial, with the prospect of getting "a
decision from the court of last resort
within less than year. The new law
l NtASS w ~. 80 NtAAs AtNAt
decision of the case against the beef
trust, if the beef trust concludes to ap-f
| peal the case TO the United States SUI,
preme court.
1t is said in official circles that too.
much Importance cannot be placed
upon the value of the eXpediting act,
n the early decision, under its terms.
of the questions involved in the North
ern Securities and beef trust cases. ,
To Prevent Consolidation.
In the Northern Securities case 1t Isl;
the effort of the government to prevents
possible consolidation of all the trans,
continental railway lines under onei
management. The ~far-reaching effect
Of such consolidation. giving to one
group of men, enc banking corporationl
n perhaps to one man, the power TOT
fix freight rates for all of the im-t
mense n growing traffic between our
two ~seaboards and the eastern hemi-l
| sphere can readily be understood.
The Northern Securities company is,
a corporation organized under the laws
of New Jersey with a nominal capital
OF $500, 900, 900, only $50, 200 of which was
paid in. 1t was proposed to exchanged
the stock of this corporation for the
stock Of the Great Northern railway
and the Northern Pacific railway, two.
parallel and competing lines from the
great lakes to the Pacific coast. One
of these roads had already absorbed
the Burlington system and 1t was
claimed that it was the intention ulti-
mately to take in the Union Pacific
the Southern Pacific and the Atchison,
systems until all the transcontinentalt
railways should be under one control.
Acting by authority of the new ex-
peditihg law the attorney general
brought suit against the Northern Se-I
%curities company for alleged violation
| of the eShaI-r11D n anti-fri1cf Ia ~, @t "a nd
certified that the case was one of gem
eral public Importance, demanding the
expedition in settlement for which the
neV law provides. The United StatesI
circuit court was Immediately %conven-I
ed and the trial commenced. 1t was
the first time where four circuit judges
have sat in the trial Of a cause in the
first instance. The government con
tended that the proposed consolidation.
was in restraint of trade, II was AM
attempt to m~onopolize the transporta-
ton facilities of the country.
The case has been tried and now is!
under consideration by the judges. III
appeal is taken from their decisian by
either side to the suit the case will notl
have to go through the long and tedious
process Of consideration by the circuit
court of appeals, but, in a~ccordancei
with the terms of the new law. will bel
jumped Immediately TIC the supremel
court of the United States. That COURT
forthwith will nave to drop all otherl
business, and proceed to the considera-i
ton of the appeal, being a~dmonished byi
the law of the last session to render del
cision as speedily as possible.
Importance of Decision.
Upon that decision will depend the u
ture movements of the corporations,
seeking to combine and to form monooa
olies in restraint Of trade. 1t is knowH
lin fha fr1n r nfo1 1,rNrI7G t1a =, 1,,-,No--NF l
Immense projects of railway consolida-
ton are Impending, which win be aban-i
doned if the courts decide that the
Northern Securities deal Is Illegal. In
high government circles the Northern,
SECURITIES case IS regarded as one OF the
greatest suits in which the government
mas ever engaged. If it a not been
for TIE expediting. act the case might
have been tied r~db-1n the courts for
years.
Future action in respect to tho beef
trust cases is for the present prob
lematical. AS the situation stands -thei
government is on top. An Injunction isl
ing the proposed combination of alfSthet
great beef packing concerns. 1t is COM
petent fer the beef trust to appeal to-
the United States supreme court. I'M
which event the expecting act will
again come into play and the cause
brought directly up from the court Of
first instance to the court of last re-
sort and an early decision given.
Better Legal Talent.
The value of another provision Of the.
anti-trust legislation of the last session
also has been demonstrated. An APP
preparation of 100000 was made to en-
able he department of justice to prose-
cute cases against the trusts. one OBJ
ject of the appropriation was to permit
the employment by the department Of.
high-elass legal talent and men pos
sessing expert and technical knowledge.
The department employed in the North
ern Securities case d. r. Watson Of
Pittsburg, one Of the greatest trust
lawyers of the country, and q man
whose services have been sought by the.
corporations themselves in the past.
The government therefore, in this IN
1 cfa,,o ,,,,;ls 4ite,al q ~ 4. II,