The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-23
plan TO EXPEDITE
TRUST BUSTING G.
Seizure OF Tobacco Company's
Goods Will Prove Important
Test Case.
WHAT IS UNLAWFUL TRusT7
Decision in Seizure Case Con
STRUNG Sherman Act, Per-
n1its Many Prosecutions.
WHAT is UNLAWFUL TRusT7

Iyo.hlngy,a .. O., Oct.

Washingr1s, y. e., Oct. 22.--
The action o. the Depar.m,Nenrs to- TO-.
bacco at Norfolk yesterday; eons, e e,
bv the British.American Tobacco Com
pany from It's. factories IN PeterIs,p q, !, =
and Durham to New YORK am ,nn nrse ~
several sever similar actions. In connection
with the products of other trusts. !.
Primarily. however,; the op lJsei,,,T us
the goyeramena n T. ma rs Get tn'i into the
courts BY the most direct route, the
nuSstton whether certain combinations
which the public calls trns.s ,, m.rI
monopolies are in reality ally ~ nnla ,Sada
within the purvIew of the Sherman
antitrust act. It is admitted that no
more effective method OF secna, ny,
lave been selected. Heretofore, every
combination attacked by the govern
ment has found It to It's Interest 10 DC
lay the progress of the case ana 70
postpone as far as possible the adu-
dication of the great question whether
its existence was In violat$n OF the
statute.
held by the government. such a CONF
bination Will be only too glad to nave
the question OF Its legal existence set
tied az speedily as possible. 1t was a
1orney- General for which, he will prob
ably be given full credit. no matter
what be the outcome of the suits to
dissolve certain combination. alleged
10 be in violation of the Sherman anti
Procedure !. Very Simple.
In fact. the procedure is so simple
that the wonder is that y was aa,, not
Of the proceedings consequent upon
the attachment of the cigarettes IN
Norfolk. the court shall hold that Inc
action OF the Sherman law under which
1. at To ma ig L.
1t Will hold necessarily. that the seiz-
ure was legal. and that condemnation
may follow under the law.
easy aan metfo .i 9 for iRe s o to
adopt would be the seizure Of every
Uhiprnent OF trust goods from one n,
state to another. A tank of oil; In
ginia. consigned BY the Standard Oil
Company. could be seized for con-
tiemnatton, and BY the time the courts
had decided whether the seizure Was ;as
STANDARD is a combination in restraint
OF trade In the contemplation OF the
Sherman law would have been adju-
called trusts; the question Of the le.
gaiity OF their existence would be
quickly decided. ard with comparative
ly small expense OF time and money.
Will Decide Test Case First.
The policy of the government towards
all alleged trusts Is not indicated by
the Department Of Justice. Whether
the department will at once set about
Selling products OF other trusts. which
have become the subject OF interstate
commerce. IL Is impossible to learn.
1t was limited at the department to-
day that such action would not be
undertaken until the present case,
growing out of the seizbure at Norfolk
case Is certain to go to the Supreme
Court OF the United States.
1t is believed that the attorneys
for the tobacco trust will contend that
section of the Sherman law. under
which the seizure was made. was in
tended to apply only in cases where q
combination had been decided by the
courts to be illegal. and 1t still con-
tfnued to transact business in con-
tempt of the judicial decision and or