Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-23
SEIZURE OF GOODS
Officials Regard 1t as an e.
fective Move. ,,ss
WILL GO TO THE COURTS
Department of Justice Wants a Ju-
dicial Decision.
ANOTHER METHOD OF ATTACK
Criminal Prosecution Not Yet Re-
sorted to, But 1t is Likely That
It Will Soon Be Tried.

The latest method of the Department
| of Justice to compel observance Of the
| law the part of the trusts will. II ie
believed by high officials of the DEPART
| ment, do much toward bringing the trusts
to their knees
The procedure IS that of seizing
goods supposed to be shipped under con-
tract in violation of the antitrust laws
OF the country, as was done yesterday
in the case of nearly 100000 cigarettes
belonging to the tobacco trust taken
charge of by the collector at Norfolk,
Va. 1t is presumed al the department
that the tobacco trust will give bond in
a certain sum. obtain the release of the
goods and fight the action of the depart
ment in the courts. This VIII be just
what the department desires inasmuch az
the officials OF the government want to
know just how far they can proceed
under the trust laws
If the government should be sustained
in its seizure of goods shipped by trust
under contract as set out in section OF
the Sherman antitrust law. IT would then
be in position TO seize the goods of any
other of the great combinations,
Under the new procedure the govern
ment has just one more method of attack
upon the trusts. The method of asking
for injunction and appointment of re-
cever is now pending in the courts, and
will, in the course of time. be decided. Be-
tween proceedings for seizure and pro-
ceedings for dissolution the government
will have tremendous club over the cor
porat!ons operating In violation of laws.
Another resort, not yet attempted but
soon to be tried is that of criminal prose-
cution.
Distribution Of Coal Cars.
1t is not impossible that criminal pro-
ceedings may shortly be- Instituted
against officials OF the Baltimore and Ohio
road for discrimination in the distribution
of coal cars to the various coal companies
along its lines. A prominent independent
coal operator has been in Washington
and called at the Department of Justice
with the charge that the Baltimore and
Ohio road is guilty OF the most fragrant
violations of the law of the last Congress
prohibiting favoritism in the distribution
of freight cars and compelling railroads to
cease ownership OF coal mines and prop
erty. The Independent coal operators some
time ago began proceedings in the courts
against the Baltimore and Ohio road. but
these proceedings have been met with 90
many of the delays of the law on technt.
calities that the operators have grown de-
spondent and have now appealed to the
government to come to their aid Attor-
ney General Bonaparte has taken the
matter under confederation and may de-
eide to start criminal action.
Discrimination Charged.
The statement is broadly made that tho
railroads of the country, and notably the
Baltimore and Ohio road. disposed Of
their coal properties in such way as
practically to retain strings upon them.
and that they have ever since been dig
eliminating in favor Of the companies to
whom they sold, furnishing them with all
the cars they wanted, while the inde-
pendent operators along the lines have
been beseeching the roads for sufficient
cars to get out their output. 1t Is
charged that in some cases the coal
companies enjoying the favor of the roads
have had cars to spare each day, and
have been enabled to operate their mines
overtime, while the Independent operators
have been able to operate only few days
each week. because the railroad COM
panies supplied them with only a few
cars at a time.
There is pretty good reason for believ-
ing that the charge of the discrimination
has greatly aroused Attorney General
Bonaparte. and that he intends to pro-
coed with all reasonable dispatch for the
relief of the operators. 1t is probable
that he will first have a careful investiga-
ton conducted. He has about come to the
conclusion that civil proceedings are of
little real benefit, and 1t is his intention,
whenever possible in the future, to bring
criminal prosecutions.