The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-04-15
WABBLY IN PAPER
TRUST INVESTIGATION
IS GOVERNMENT

report thereon are competed ne VIII
submit them without delay II he can
do so without affecting the interests
of justice, but that II the investiga-
ton should lead to civil or criminal
proceedings 1t may be expedient to
temporarily withhold from the pub
lie the evidence and information
The attorney generals letter fol-
lows:
I'm response TO resolution of the
house of representatives, No. 800,
transmitted 10 me under date of
April s, 1908, | have the honor to
state chat several weeks ago all eN-
dence and Information relating to its
subject matter in the possession of
this department were referred to the
United States attorney of the appro-
pirate district. with orders to make
or have made by grand jury of the
said district thorough investigation
of the matters in question. The said
United States attorney was further
Instructed, If sufficient evidence could
be thus obtained, to institute at once
suitable proceedings in the federal
court having jurisdiction in the prem
Uses, with view to furnishing any Of
Tending parties and to secure in flu
ture strict obedience in this respect
to the statute of the United States
generally known as the Sherman anti
trust law.
up TO the present time no evil
dence could he obtained by the Off
GERS of this department sufficient to
justify the institution of legal pro-
ceedings, either civil or criminal.
against any alleged combination of
wood pulp of print paper manufac-
turers. The information obtained,
however. justifies further investia-
tion of the facts, and such investiga-
ton is in progress.
1T would be inexpedient at the
present stage of this investigation to
disclose TO the public specifically what
steps have been taken or what action
is contemplated by the department
with respect TO matters mentioned in
the said resolution. As above stated,
these matters have been referred to
United States attorney for further
inquiry. and possible action in his
judicial district, and ii would be, in
my opinion. incompatible with the
public service TO require him to sus-
pend this inquiry SO that the papers
in his possession might be trans
mitted TO the house of representa-
tives, and inadvisable, in the interest
of justice, to make public at this
time the precise information in the
possession of said prosecuting Of
ficer.
1T is proper for me to say in this
connection that certain alleged facts
were submitted to the department
when tie above mentioned investiga-
ton was commenced which apparent
and readily proved offenses against
the laws of the United States had
been committed in the premises, and
immediate action by the appropriate
officer was thereon promptly ordered;
but these orders disclosed that no
legal proof could be secured of the
alleged offenses, the evidence relied |
upon TO establish them turning out
to be merely hearsay, and the COM
plainant himself, who had furnished |
this information, refusing to give the /
name Of a witness supposed TO have |
personal knowledge of the said |
facts. Before taking action under
the so-called antitrust law ii has |
been the unvarying practice of this |
department to very thoroughly sift |
the allegations of such complaints,
and the considerable proportion of |
successful prosecutions under the
said statute seems to Justify this |
practice
In this instance information SO as
aforesaid furnished, when so sifted /
showed an undoubted, general and /
considerable increase in the prices of I
certail kinds of paper, but that such /