Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-18
UP 70 The PRESIDENT
Chief Executive Placed in Pecu-
liar Position in the Rail-
road Case
TO SUE OR NOT TO SUE
President Must Decide on Action
Looking to Dissolution Of Rail Com
binations-cause for Tears in Pack
ers' Loss-Great Falling OFF in Elk.
ports Of Canned Beet.

washington, May Io.-1He QueStlUiie
of bringing criminal prosecutions
against e. H Hartman, and suits to
dissolve the railroad combinations he
has effected, must be decided by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. This is matter in
which no subordinate will NEEDLE. The
president must figure out his own de-
auctions and assume full responsibility
for the consequences. !
The interstate commission is divided
into factions. One believes that
successful suits can be maintained
to break the Hartman combinat tons
under the Sherman antitrust act,
which might permit the subsequent
criminal prosecution Of Mr.. Hartman.
The other Is convinced that legal pro-
ceedings for the dissolution OF the
combinations would prove an ig-
noble failure.
Three members OF the commission
are said to be convinced that the COM
bination constitute violations Of the
Sherman law. They base their belief
on the opinions handed down by the
United States supreme court In the
Northern Securities case. Some of the
dissenting justices declare that IL the
stock necessary to effect the consolida-
ton of the Great Northern and the
Northern Pacific railroads had been
purchased in the open market the de-
cision might have been otherwise. The
broardly intimated that the dissolu-
ton of the Northern Securities COM
spiracy to secretly buy the stock need
ed to obtain control, instead OF secur-
ing 1t in the open market.
The other four commissioners are
said to radically differ from their as
isociates. They insist that without
reference to the Northern Securities
case, successful suits can be brought
under the Sherman act It is admit
stedly necessary to win suits against
the combination on the restraint of
trade feature of the Hartman trans
actions in order to procure the evidence
with which to institute criminal pro-
ceedings against the CHIEF factors In
them.
4AtSl oSSAtC
undoubtedly will bring in for consider
alton by the president and attorney
general at least two sets Of conclusions
and recommendations There may be
seven sets OF views.
In the meantime the president is
taking a copy of the conclusion reached
by Attorneys F. B. Kellogg and c. A.
Severance down to his country place
of Pine Knot, and will carefully read
and digest this important document.
He will then be in position to make
some suggestions on his own ac-
count.
The late Congressman Wadsworth,
Of New York, must gloat when he
hears the latest news from the packing
houses in Chicago, altho his friends.
the packers, are probably not In a mood
to be pleased at his pleasure. But
the fact is that the exports of canned
beef have fallen Off during the past
year until almost the disappearing
point has been reached for that pros
duct, and Wadsworth from his retreat
in private life, would probably find
many to believe him II he alleged that
this loss of trade is due to the way
in. which the president pressed home
the charge of filthy methods against
the packers in the spring Of 1906. The
campaign which Mr. Roosevelt made
against the ways Of the packing houses
eventually led, as will be remembered,
to the defeat Of Mr.. Wadsworth at
the polls in his district by a man who
made his campaign by riding 9 COW
in the professions.
OF course, there may be some rea-
son at the bottom of the growing dis
taste of the foreigners for canned beef
Of American production, but the fact
cannot be denied that whatever the
cause there has never been a more
marked shrinkage in the export sales
of any article. AS long ago as 1891
the canned beef trade Of the United
States, with the rest Of the world, had
reached phenomenal proportions, the
sales that year amounting to 109,5S5,-
727 pounds, bringing to this country
s9,06s, s06 in foreign money. That was
the high waten mark, but for the last
seven years the sales abroad have
averaged between 55,o00,000 and Co.
600 900 pounds annually, and the trade
seemed to stand firmly at those fig
ures.
But during the last ten months there
has been a slump that must be making
the packers weep. For the period
named the shipments abroad have been
only 13,O32,703 pounds and shrinkage
has all along the line, practically every
country except Germany showing a de-
cided decrease in it's appetite for this
form Of forage.
For the ten months ending with
April during the past seven or eight
eyars the sales for export have seldom
run less than s5,000,000 and most of
the time much more. But for the ten
months ending with April, 1907, the
sales for export amounted to but ST.
s3o,2s3. The government authorities
have no official explanation of the loss.
They were at first disposed to lay it to
the close oos the war between Japan
and Russia, but when 1t was seen that
people who had nothing to do with
that war were also stunning American
canned beef the original theory was
abandoned. Our friends across the
ocean have simply gone back on canned
beef. and whether it is due to the
vigorous action or to jim
Ham Lewis known repugnance for
beef in that form or to- some other
cause. each individual citizen is at
liberty to figure out for himself.
Girls viii smile thru the years,
Their eyes will always glisten with