Omaha daily bee., 1908-04-14
ANSWER TO CANNON
Attorney General Replies to Hequest
for Facts About Paper Trust.
INQUIRY STILL IN PROGRESS
No Evidence Yet on Which to Base
Prosecution.
CHARGES ARE NOT SUPPORTED
First Information Furnished Depart
ment Could Not Be Verified.
NOW WORKING ON OTHER LINES
II Might defeat Ends OF Justice to
Make the Results of the Inves-
tiEatioR Public mt This
Time.
No Evidence Yet on Which to Base
Prosecution.
First Information Furnished Depart
ment Could Not Be Verified.
NOW WORKING ON OTHER LINES

WASHlNGIONt April lo.-lne dtloIH0y
general today sent TO Speaker Cannon
letter In reply to the house resolution ask
ing what steps have been taken by the
government to investigate the alleged COM
oination of wood pulp or paper manufac-
turers The attorney general says an in
vestigation is in progress. bat no evil
dencc has yet been obtained to secure
prosecution When the report thereon is
completed he will submit It without de-
Law II he can do SO without affecting the
interests OF justice. but II the investiga-
tion should lead 10 civil or criminal pro-
seedlings u may be expdedient to tempor-
arily withhold from the public the report.
The attorney generals letter follows
"In response TO resolution Of the house
of representatives No. 400, transmitted to
me under date OF April s. 1905, ] have
the honor TO state that several weeks ago
all evidence and Information relating to
its subject matter In the possession of
this department were referred to the
United states attorney OF the appropriate
district with orders to make or have
made by a grand jury OF the said district
g thorough investigation Of the matters
in question. The said United States at
torney was further instructed. il suffi-
clent evidence could he thus obtained. TO in
the federal court having Jurisdiction in
the premises with a view to furnishing
any offending parties and to secure in fu-
ture strict obedience IN this respect 10
the statute Of the United States generally
known as the Sherman antitrust law
NO Evidence Yet Found.
TIP to the present time no evidence has
been obtained by the officers of this
department sufficient TO Justify the in
stitution of legal proceedings, either civil
on criminal against any alleged combi-
nation OF wood pulp or wood paper manu-
fscturers. The Investigation. however, JUS
titled further investigation and such I'm
vestigatlon is in progress.
1T would be inexpedient at the present
state OF this investigation to disclose to
the public specifically what steps have
been taken or what action is contem-
plated by this government with, respect
10 matters mentioned IN the said resolu-
tion. As above stated. these matters have
been referred TO United States attorney
for further inquiry and possible action in
his judicial district and it would be- In
my opinion. incompatible with the public
service to require him to suspend thii
inquiry so that the papers in his posses
sion might be transmitted to the house
of representatives and inadvisable in the
interest OF justice TO make public at this
time the precise Information I'm the pos
session Of said prosecuting officer
AlIeged Facts Not Evidence.
1T is proper for me to say in connection
with this matter that certain alleged fact
were submitted to this department whei
the above mentioned investigation wa
commenced which apparently authorized
the belief that serious and readily proveI
offenses against the laws OF the United
States had been committed in the prem
ises and immediate action by the appro
riate officer was thereupon promptly or
dered, but these orders disclosed that n,
legsl proof could be secured of the allege,
off Nes the evidence relied upon to es
tabh- Nthem turning out to be merely hear
say ana the complainant himself, who hat
furnished the Information refusing to Civ
the name Of q witness supposed to hav
personal knowledge of the said facts Be
fore taking action under the so-called an
ti-trust law, II has been the unvaryinl
practice of this department TO thorough,
sift the allegations OF Fuch complaints an
the considerable proportion of successful
prosecutions under the said statute seem
to justify the practice In this instance
information as aforesaid furnished whe
so sifted showed an undoubted. genera
ami considerable increase in the prices o
certain kinds OF paper but that such in
crease was due to any contract comblna
tion or conspiracy in restraint OF trad,
was matter OF conjecture and suspicion
although Il seemed probable that proof t
establish this might be found through
searching judicial inquiry.
Not Ready TO give Out Facts.
Il regret that the public interest pre-
vents me from fully and promptly CON
plying with the request contained in tn
aforementioned resolution. When tSis in
vestigation has been completed and the rs
port Of the United States attorney en-
trusted herewith Is received. / may be in
position TO furnish the house OF repre-
sentatives with papers and informatlo
called for without iniuriously affecting IN
interests OF justice and l shall in sue
case. submit them without delay. L
however. the said Investigation shoul
lead to civil or criminal proceedings it ma
continue expedient TO temporarily Withhold
from the public Information obtaine
bearing upon the situation until such prS
ceedlnes shah have been finally detel
%