The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-03-20
Eleven Important Cases Now
Proceeding
SIX CONCERNS OBJEBT
OF Attacks Beef, Standard Oil and sug-
ar Are Firat-~outline of Action by
Federal Government and
States.

New York, March 20 That the pres
emit popular demand for rurtailment Of
the power Of the so-called trusts or
InonopoIies, and for u firmer and more
complete control Of them BY the federal.
on state government, il bearing fruit Isl
evidenced by the actions already begun
or now pending against industrial cor
porations Taken singly Or from time
to time, as reports Of the proceedings
appear IN the newspapers. these actions
are not calculated to strike the reader
as Indicative Of any general and con
certed action to meet the demands Of
Socialists and the dissatisfied OF all PAL.
ties and classes for the cnrbing Of the
trusts. 1t Is only when these actions
are Jumped that one realizes what d
widespread legal movement il on foot,
| IN which the various state governments
and the federal department Of justice
are taking part, 10 remedy what are
generally conceded TO BIZ the evils Of the
Capitalization OF industrial activity in
the hands Of o comparatively few men
or groups Of men. II will he seen that
the Republican administration IL not on.
Fly making good its promise to proceed
! against trusts where there Is ground to
base n case on violations Of the anti.
trust law, but ii making every effort,
as evidenced by the rate bin now in
| Congress, and the authorization BY that
body for an inquiry into the methods
Of the railroads in handling coal and
iron, to 90 further than the existing
lanti-tfust laws allow
There are now going on or pending
eleven legal actions in various states
against six so-ealied trusts. Against the
Standard OIL alone there are three &C.
tions, one in Missouri and one in New
York, both brought BY the attorney gen
eral of Missouri, and one in Kansas.
brought BY the attorney general Of that
state. In addition the interstate com
meroe commission II soon to take up
the relations of Standard Oil and the
railroads Last month a resolution was
introduced in the New Jersey legisla
tire, the foster mother OF all corpora
tions, directing the attorney general to
begin proceedings 10 annul the charter
OF the Standard Oil company on account
Of its violations If various laws. This
resolution is stili in committee, and al
though It's defeat IL expected, ii is never.
theless another Indication Of the present
day tendency 10 regulate those corpora
tons which deal in articles vitality If
fecting life. Besides the suit of the
Kansas attorney general to Gust the
Standard Oil from that state, the inter
state commerce commission Is digging
into the methods Of the oil trust IN is
investigation 81 the complaint Of the in
dependent oil producers that railroads
discriminate against them in favor Of
the trust,
The United States department Of JUS
tice is proceeding against the so-caIled
heel trust In Chicago, United States
grand jury is Investigating in New York
city the charge that The sugar trust has
been obtaining rebates from railroads
to crush its independents competitors,
and the attorney general 81 Ohio is pros
eeuting an action to prevent the so.called
bridge trust from doing business in that
state. A resolution has already been
introduced in the New York state legis-
lature calling for an investigation Of
the ice trust, and movement Is on foot
IN Ohio to have a grand Jury take up
the workings Of the refrigerator fller
there. The attorney general Of Ohio is
also looking into the grocery trust The
interstate commerce commission has al
ready chosen counsel TO aid IL in is in.
vestigation into the handling Of coal and
oil BY the railroads The Belmont Ryan
traction merger Is likely to be prohed
u the result Of the determination OF
the New York state railroad commits
sion TO investigate certain details If
former Metropolitan Street Railway
deals. The Maryland legislature is in.
yestigating certain methods Of financing
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad.