The sun., 1907-12-28

ACHIEVEMENTS or. TIE ROOSE-
Welt ADMINISTRATION.

Pnmphlet From Fhs sAttOrney-Gsneral's Of
nee SHOWS That Roosevelt Accom-
pllsned LlGtIe. N Anything, More IN SIX
Years Than Cleveland Did In Four.
T WASHINGTON. Dec. 77.--The trust busting
achievements OF the Roosevelt Administra-
tion, with a naive comparison in tabulated
form with the less conspicuous victories
OF other Administrations, both Republican
and Democratic, are celebrated In a PAM
phIet prepared in the Office OF the Attor-
ney-G General A similar document was pre-
pared early In the year. but the revised
edition is more ample and it brings the
record up TO date.
While the pamphlet purports TO be a
mere record the information which II con-
tains il set forth in such a way as 20 invite
comparison between the Roosevelt and the
Mckinley Administrations and between the
present regime and periods when Grover
Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison respect
lively sat in the Presidential chair
The summary of cases which the official
pamphlet presents would make IL appear
that the Roosevelt Administration In six
years has accomplished little IL anything
more under the act 10 regulate commerce
than was accomplished in four years by
the second Cleveland Administration. The
answer to this. according Co the Department
OF Justice officials. 10 that the recent cases
were much more important than the former;
also that the Elkins anti-rebate law has been
invoked more frequently than tbs old act
TO regulate commerce.
During the first four years Of President
RoossveIts incumbency only twenty-nine
csses we're instituted against railroads
90
and the Elkins act. In the four years
while President Cleveland was in office
for the second time the whole number
Of cases instituted under the act to regulate
large: that is. IO2. The activity Of the
present Administration since Mr.. Rocss-
welt q election by the people in 1904 has
been enormous. FOR the whole number Of
cases has been increased TO $50. This
again is to be compared. as a six year rec
ord, with the lO2 cases instituted in the
four years under Cleveland. IL 10 true,
however. that slxty-One Of the Cleveland
cases were actions to compel the fling Of
tariffs and the cases were dropped on
compliance by the carriers. All that the
Cleveland administration sought TO ac-
compLsh was obedience TO the law. and
there was very little noise about il.
Under the Sherman antitrust law the !
Roosevelt administration in six years has |
instituted seventeen civil and eighteen |
criminal actions, total OF thirty-tiVe. In /
Mr.. McKinley's administration there were !
only three; IN Mr.. Clevelands secon1 ad- |
ministration of four years there were nine, !
and in MIR. Harrison's four year term there !
were seven. Mr.. ROOsevelt's record for !
the first four years was also seven cases |
under the Sherman law.
Railroad prosecutions have formed the |
chief feature of President Roosevelts |
anti-corporation policy during the year |
now closing. Two civil and thirty-siX
criminal actions have been instituted
under the Elkins law in the present year |
and many suits begun in former years |
have been continued. The rebate cases |
and other actions against common carriers |
and shippers for violation OF the Interstate
commerce laws which have been instituted |
this year amount to thrty-eight. Two
Of these were civil and thirty-six criminal |
actions and they were distributed as follows:
Atchison Topeka and Santa FS Railway |
Company, three; Grand Canyon Lime and !
Cement Company, two; John ,. Scherln. a
shipper; Great Northern Railway Com
pany and Mutual Transfer Company, two; !
Western Transit Company, the Chicago. 1
Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company.
the Chicago, Milwaukee and ST. Paul Rail-
way Company, the New York. Ontario and
Western Company. ". ". Bennet. a carrier; !
the Central Vermont Railway Company,
the New York Chicago and st. Louis Rail- |
way Company, two: A. Booth Co. ship
Dsrs; the New York Central and Hudson |
River Railroad Company. five; the Penn 1
sYlvanla Railroad Company, TWO, vacuum
Oil Company, shippers, three; Standard |
Oil Company. shippers. four Pacific Mail |
Steamship Company, two; Southern Pacific |
Company, three.
While being widely discussed as a possi-
bility Of the future. and although pro-
claimed as the stern policy Of the Admin
istration, no corporation. officer or other
person has been sent TO jail Tor violation
Of the Sherman act or the other inter
state commerce laws. Fines aggregating
$50 2S9. .l25 have been imposed. or this
s29. 2A0 900 represents the penalty imposed
on the Standard Oil Company of Indiana
for accepting freight rebates. That Hne
hasn't been paid yet.
nECggInN INDER RATE LAM