Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-11
THE TRUST PROBLEM
NOT AFFECTED By ATTORNEY
GENERALS RETIREMENT.
Assistants in Department of Justice
Have All the Details-Aided
by Bureau Of Corporations.

Tho Importance that democratic leaders
are seeking to place upon the proposed re-
tirement of Attorney General Knox from
the Department of Justice, in its relation
to the trust problem, Is regarded as very
fiimsY proceeding on the part Of men who
have been intimately associated with the
prosecution of the Northern Securities Com
pany.
The excellent advice of Mr.. Knox in con-
nection with these prosecutions is every
where acknowledged, but at the same time
1t is contended that his departure from
the office of Attorney General will not affect
in the least way the policy of the admins
tration and of the Department Of Justice
except to strengthen it by the presence of a
man III the Senate who Is thoroughly ia
miliar with all those prosecutions and will
there be able to lend his influence and adj
vice to any proposition that may come up
for amending the trust law.
But so far as the work of the Department
OF Justice is concerned, the fact is pointed
out that that office contains a force of as
slstants who are familiar with all the de-
talls OF the prosecutions that have been
carried on, and whose advice at all times is
regarded as of the utmost value. The ma
chlnery of the office is there in full work.
ing order and whoever the next Attorney
General may be he will have at his COM
of the law that have been fully mastered
Not only will the effectiveness Of the De-
partment of Justice not be lessened, but
later 1t will be vastly strengthened SO far
as securing q knowledge of violations of
the Sherman act on the part of corpora
tons. This will result from the fact that
the vast amount of work that has been
carried on by the bureau of corporations,
under Commissioner Garfield, is rapidly be-
coming available for use by the depart
ment.
The work cf the bureau of corporations
has been pursued in a very modest man.
ner. Many people do not realize that for a
year past this bureau with corps of ex-
pert assistants has been delving into court
records, reports of official Investigations by
Congress and by state legislatures. and
every form of publication which oould thrO "
light on the methods pursued by the great
corporations, together with their forms of
organization. in order to discover in what
cases there has been a restraint Of trade
which can be dealt with under the Sher-
man act.
These Investigations have not yet been
completed. When they have been, all the
data secured will be in systematic form
that 1t be referred to to throw light
on methods in vogue in different hives of
industry. Many months will be taken up
In pursuing this work, but when 1t has
been completed the Secretary of the De-
partment Of Commerce and Labor will be
able to place in the hands of the then At
torney General q mass of reliable infor-
nation in regard to any of the corporations
which may come under suspicion Of violat-
ing the law.
Altogether. it is declared the machinery
of the government for the intelligent treat
ment of the trust problem is much more
complete today than ever before Inc
administration policy as to the manner OF
treating these corporations has been fixed
by President Roosevelt himself and is in
no way affected by the retirement OF heao
of one of the departments.