The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-28
6. Y. B0CACkl,
 iTA-. Phone $50. s4 Commerce s.
KNOX MAKES ANSWER
REPLIES TO THE RESOLUTION
 OF WILLIAMS.
Attorney General Considers It Tn compatible With the Public }
 Interests to Give Full Statement of Fact. f '

Washington. April N--Attorney Gen eral Knox today transmitted to the
 House replies to the two resolutions of
 Inquiry introduced by Mir. Williams of
 Mississippi. relative to trusts. <ss
 First replying to the questions as to
 whether criminal proceedings had been
 begun against persons involved in the
 decision of the Supreme Court of the
 United States in the Northern Securities
 ease as guilty of violation of the laws
 by entering into combinations in restraint of trade. the Attorney General said: T have the honor to say that no crimi-
 nal proceedings have been instituted
 against the persons referred to in the
 resolution and that further than this
 do not deem 1t compatible with the public
 interest to comply with the resolution
 The other resolutions ask if any investi-
 gation ever was made by the Department
 of Justice of the so called anthracite
 coal trust. The Attorney General re-
 piled to this as follows ~
 T have the honor to say that during
 the time of the anthracite coal strike,
 the Department. of Justice began an in vestigation for the purpose of .determin-
 ing whether the anthracite coal business
 was conducted through combination or conspiracy in violation of the antitrust
 law of 1890. >a
 "rhis investigation had not proceeded
 far until discovered that if such com
 bination existed, the evidence of It's ex-
 istence had been adroitly concealed and
 that If 1t was to be established would
 largely depend upon the government s
 ability to secure evidence of a chain of circumstances. which. in the aggregate, would establish combination.
 Tn view cs the fact that this depart ment possessed no power to compel the production of books and papers to ex- anime under oath. I opened up the sub l ject through a representative of the De- | pnrtment of Justice with a representative | of the Interstate Commerce Commission. | making a general investigation into the l question as to whether the anthracite l coal roads were engaged in pooling,
 charging exorbitant rates for transporta- tfon of coal preventing the coal from
 reaching It's natural. markets, and in short l of obtaining through the powers of the | commission evidence of the facts.
 I About this time a complaint was made \ before the Interstate Commerce Commis- l sion raising the question above referred to- During the progress of the hearing 1 before the committee under this com plant several witnesses refused to pro- duce papers and answer questions which l the commission considered and ruled to De germAne to the inQulFy' WlleT0upOHi l under the direction of the Attorney Gen. \ erai,, proceedings were begun in the | United States Circuit Court in New York for hea purpose of compelling the coal i companies to produce papers and an- swer questions. The Circuit Court dismissed the peti- tion. of the Interstate Commerce Commls-
 sion. whereupon an appeal was taken by | the United, States under the act of Feb .ruary 19, 1903, directly to the Supreme | Court of the United States.
 "on motion of the Attorney. General. l the case was advanced and argued by a representative of the Department Of Justice and special assistant attorney at the instance of the Interstate Com merce Commission.
 This appeal was decided in favor of the powers of the committee to compel the production of the testimony, and. as am informed. the commission is about to renew it's hearings. which, when com pieted. will lay before the Department of Justice in connection with other evil
 dence 1t has gathered itself and has been furnished to 1t by sundry persons, all the available information in relation to
 the alleged combination.
 Further than this I do not deem 1t
 compatible with the public interest to
 comply with the resolution" ... -....