Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-23
ADMINISTRATION
WILL NOT CO WILD
II Will Not Permit Itself to be
Thrown OF Its Balance by
The Merger Decision,
ENFORCING Of ANTITRUST LAW
Department Of Justice Will Not Prose
cute Except When Fully Convinced
The Law Is Being Violated.

Washington. March 22.-There is not
the slightest danger that the admins
tration will be thrown off its balance
by the merger decision.
It may be stated that the department
of justice will not undertake any suit
In which 1t is not abundantly convinced
that there has been violation OF the
law.
Atty, Gen. Knox is convinced that
the Sherman antitrust act had been
violated, and because 1t involved some
Of the greatest railroad properties
in the country and was engineered by
two of the biggest financers in the
country, made II more acceptable as a
test case.
There have been charges that other
railroad combinations exist which vio'
late the antitrust act as certainly as
did the Northern Securities company,
but there Is no definite complaint filed
so far as can be learned, and Atty
Gen. Knox is absolutely silent as TO
whether any Of these cases are under
consideration.
The belief in administration circles
is that the Northern Securities decision
will be respected by all railroad com.
panies, and where there Is the SEM
bance of a combination that would
come under the meaning OF being In
restraint of trade a readjustment Will
be effected and the law compiled with.
Atty.-Gen. Knox's statement was
'"The government does not mean to
run amuck" II has been fully out
lined In the presidents message to
Congress, in which he declares that
the law must be observed, but no ac-
ton shall be taken that would mean
danger to the business world or that
would ieopardlze legitimate business
interests.
BEEF TRUST INVESTIGATION.
The department of commerce and la
Dor, through the bureau Of corpora
lions, is making an investigation into
the operations of the sO-called beef
trust A part of the investigation is
being conducted In accordance with a
resolution passed by the house OF rep
resentatves recently. Prior to the
adoption of the resolution the depart
ment, through It's regular channels. had
collected and tabuated certain infor-
nation regarding the beef trust. The
resolution, which was drafted by Rep
| resentative Martin of South Dakota,
requested the department officials TO
ascertain, II possible, the cause Of the
! difference in price between beef on the
hoof and dressed beef. 1t was pointed
out that western stockmen believed
that they were being Disseminated
against by the trust. and that the
| markets OF the country were being
manipulated to their detriment.
| Neither Secy. CortelyOu nor Com
missioner Garfield Of the bureau of cor
| pOrations will discuss the investigation
in any way. 1t Is made perfectly clear,
| however, that this investigation, as
well as all others conducted by that
| department, will be made by the OFF,
Gals OF the department themselves
| without assistance; that the depart
ment will not stoOp TO detective work
| In the conduct Of the inquiry, and that
the proceedings will be devoid OF any
| spectacular features. There will be no
public hearings and publicity will be
| avoided so far as possible.
| The pending investigation Il being
| conducted by Commissioner Garfield,
under the direction Of Secy. Cortelyou.
Beyond that fact, practically nothing Is
obtainable. Whether the results OF the
investigation are to be made public at
Its conclusion will depend entirely on
President Roosevelt.