Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-04
TRUST PROSECUTIONS
Point That viii Be Made in the
Campaign.
ACTUAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Actions of Administration Make a
Good Showing.
PROSECUTION OF
PACKERS
Successful in Kansas City-OtheI
Trusts Proceeded Against, With
More or Less Success.

| In the approaching campaign for Con-
| gress the republicans expect to make con-
| siderable political capital out of the ad-
| ministration's record in the prosecution OF
| trusts and Illegal combinations. The demo-
| Gratis will set up a loud cry for attacks on
| the trusts: the republicans will echo 1t ana
| point TO actual achievements IN that line
| already accomplished and to measures un-
der way for additional prosecutions.
| The sum total of the actions of the ad-
| ministration certainly makes a good show
| ing In the direction of breaking up trusts
| and furnishing violations of law regulating
the great industrial corporations. The story
really ought TO start with the breaking up
| of the Great Northern Securities merger,
by which the administration prevented the
| forming of a combination of railroads that
would have held the entire western half OF
| the continent in the grasp of few men.
| so far as transportation facilities and
| freight rates were concerned.
| Then came the prosecution of the beef
| trust. which, although 1t ended In fiasco
| for the moment, served TO attract attention
| to a defect in the law which will be RENE
| died so that successful prosecutions can
| now be commenced. Furthermore the
| furor raised over the beef trust cases was
| directly responsible for the action which
| has eliminated in the passage Of the meat
| inspection law
| One successful prosecution of packing
| companies, in connection with a railroad.
| came to head in Kansas City the other
| day when the court imposed a fine Of
| SIS 600 each on the packing companies and
| railroad company and fines of 5000 and
| $1,000 with imprisonment on the individual
| defendants.
The Paper Trust Case.
One of the most important suits brought
| to successful finish by the administration
| was IN the paper trust case. This was
| bill In equity against the General Paper
| Company and some two score Independent
| paper manufacturing companies located in
| Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, where
| they manufactured practically the sole sup
| ply of news-print and fiber paper for the
territory west of Chicago and east of the
| Rocky mountains. The supreme court up
| held the governments contention the trust
| has been dissolved and already there has
| been reduction of 80 per cent in the cost
| of paper.
| The Tobacco Trust Cases.
| These grew out of an investigation by a
| federal grand jury, sitting for the southern
district of New York. of the American To-
| bacco Company and the MacAndrews II
| Forbes Co Witnesses were summoned to
| testify to their knowledge of any facts
| showing that these companies were violat-
| ing the antitrust laws. The officers re-
| fused to produce their books and were ad-
| judged in contempt of court. The supreme
| court required the production OF the books
| and papers.
| The investigation was again taken up and
| resulted In an indictment June Is last
| against number of officers of the COM
| panies for alleged violation of the anti
trust laws. The cases will soon come to
| trial.
| The drug trust cases are Of interest to
| every one The government flied suit May
tor an Injunction against the trust, the
principal parties defendant being the Pro-
| prietary Association of America, the Ma
| tional Wholesale Druggists Association
and the National Association OF Retail
Druggists. 1t is charged that they have
entered into conspiracy to arbitrarily fix
| and regulate prices by restricting the pur-
| chase and sale of drugs and proprietary
| medicines TO those druggists who will OBJ
serve the rules and keep up prices. The
| case Is now in court, the government
| prayer being for dissolution OF the trust
The Elevator Trust.
The government has completely smashed
the elevator trust operating In the western
country. This consisted of a combination
| of some thirty concerns making passenger
elevators. Suit was brought May 7, 1905
and the government case was SO complete
that the trust pleaded guilty. and has since
| dissolved.
| In the line OF trust prosecution should be
| cited the investigation of the coal carrying
| railroads of the eastern states, The public
! IS well aware Of the startling Developments
of the hearings thus far The investiga-
ton has lust commenced however, and
| special counsel have been retained who
are now looking into the facts for basis
| of criminal prosecution.
| The government has broken up a retail
| grocers' trust In Nome. Alaska, where the
| combination was keeping up prices on the
| miners in that remote region. 1t has also
| proceeded against beef and lumber trusts
1 tn, Elax yaH fhA
suits being sufficient to lower prices.
| Terminal Railroad Gases.
| In Missouri suit has been brought against
| the Terminal Railroad Association of st.
Louis. the st. Louis Merchants Bridge Ter
minal Co., the Virgins Ferry Co. and
others in which 1t is sought to free inter
state traffic from an alleged combination
to operate the Eads bridge and the Mer-
| chants bridge. 1t is alleged that the de-
| PENDANTS are monopohxing the interstate
| transportation across the Mississippi river
| and into ST. Louis. The government is now
| prosecuting these cases vigorously.
Other Trust Prosecutions.
| In Florida the government is seeking an
! injunction against the Jacksonville Whole
| sale Grocers' Association. Complaint was
| made by- consumers OF an alleged cousbina-
| tion to keep up prices and the government
has taken up the case with vigor.
| The fertilizer trust Is being prosecuted In
| Tennessee. A federal grand jury has re-
| turned an indictment against thirty-one
| corporations and twenty-four individuals.
| The defendants controlled the field in nine
southern states for the sale of fertilizer,
\ raising the price on al average OF $3.50 g.
| ton. This Is a very 4ifficult case az the
trust has conducted its business very se-
/ cretly and has retained the ablest counsel
| money could engage.
In New York indictments have been re-
/ turned against the American Sugar REIN
| ing Company, the N. Y. c. & H. r. r. Co.
l and several Individual defendants for all
| legged granting and taking OF rebates by
| which the sugar trust. It II charged. has
/ been able to stifie competition.
| Coal Carrier Cases.