Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-07-09
GOVERNMENT
BUSY BUSTING
HUGE TRUSTS
Both Parties Claim Credit
For Work
CERTAIN TO Be LEADING
ISSUE IN COMING CAMPAIGN
Department Of Justice Ready For
Big Fight on Standard
Oil Monopoly.
Correspondence Morning Journal.

correspondence MOrlllHB JOurldl.
1t is a natural certainty that both
parties will go before the country ut
the coming congressional election and
claim record in trust busting. HUI
man nature an especially political ma
ture will have to change a whole lot
before they would overlook such a
bet as that. How much of the credit
is to be laid to the party and how
much to the personal initiative of the
present is question. The chances
are that the presidents personal views
had more to do with inaugurating and
carrying through the campaign
against trusts than had anything else.
Also the democratic party in spots
may be handed a modlcum of credit
for there were some places where par-
ty lines were largely obliterated and
where the righteousness of legislation
in prospect had much to do with
gathering the votes that helped to pass
it regardless of party affiiation. But
as a whole the credit belongs to the
republican party rather than to any
other and it is on that record the
rty will be glad to 20 before the
people.
The record of the past year is in
deed remarkable when one comes tn
look back on it, The decision Of the
supreme court in the Northern Secur-
ieies merger case was the beginning
OF sorrows--for the trusts--and it de-
feated a move that would have put
the transportation facilities of the
whole western country into the hands
of a few.
Then there came the prosecution of
the beef trust. This ended for the
moment in ridicule for the government
through the apparently insane decis-
ion of one Chicago court. But 1t WIS
in all probability not bad thing, for
il helped the passage of other legisll
ton that will make such idiotic rul-
ings impossible in the future. Also 1t
stirred UP the community and added
fuel to the flame when the report of
packing house conditions came out
and forced the meat inspection bill 10
a more or less successful issue. The
best friends of the inspection legisln-
tion cannot say that the inspection Law
is altogether satisfactory yet but it is
a long way ahead of nothing and
promises to improve in the future
Then there rapidly followed the disso
luton of the western paper trust AMI
the drop of thirty per cent I'm the price
of news print paper. This was case
of Col, Crockett'S coon where the
trust came down without shooting.
The prosecution of the Kansas City
rebate cases was another government
victory where the court imposed fine
of $4,000 each on four of the COM
panies and fines of $4,000 and $4,000
on two of the individual defendants
The investigation of the tobacco trust
is not yet completed but there has
been enough brought out already to
Justify one prosecution. The Amerl-
can Tobacco company and McAndrews
Forbes and company were hailed into
court and on refusing to produce the
books desired were adjudged In con-
tempt by the supreme court and the
cases will soon come to trial.
The suits against the western pass
enger elevator combine comprising
thirty firms has already been success
fully fought and resulted in smashing
the trust.
The list already is almost too long
to go over. The trust of the retail
grocers at Nome. Alaska, where the
price of eatables was being held up
on the starving miners, has been at.
tackled and defeated and the terminal
cases of the Eads' Bridge and the
I'M
of the Mississippi are under way and
will in all probability soon some to Il
successful conclusion. The case
against the fertilizer trust has been
pushed vigorously and while the end
is not vet In sight, the price of ferti-
lizer controlled by the combination
has already dropped on an average ut
81 per ton. Considering the hundreds
Of thousands Of tons sold annually.
this amounts in the aggregate to 4
meat deal.
The prosecutions of the drug trust
and the proprietary association are
already well under way and the de-
partment of justice is now going
rapidly after that most gigantic
company. Indictments have been
returned against the American SUI
gar Refining company in New York
and the success of the government IN
the Chesapeake and Ohio coal case
before the supreme court opened up
new vista In the way of things that
the government could do with tho
trust and monopoly problem when II
got ready. Indeed, this was pivotal
decision and gave n flip to the coal
and oil investigation of the interstate
commerce commission that has hac
much to do with the success of the
commission In exposing the rotteH-
ness of the system that seemed to
permeate all OF the coal roads. II
will furnish material for the de-
partment OF justice in the further
prosecution OF these combines and
ought to do much toward lowerinR
the price OF living and giving the
people a little Of what Is coming &c
them.
The suits for rebatlng and dlscrim-
nation on the part of the railroads
are In fact just commencing and the
good effect Of these actions will be
found. as has been pointed out, nol
no much In fines and jail sentences
against individuals, as in their mora
effect and In deterrIng the giani
corporations from doing what thes
know themselves is wrong when they