Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-11
KEEPS AFTER 'EM
Department Of Justice Will Not
Let Up on the Sugar
Prosecutions.
so WIckERSHAM DECLARES
Attorney General Says in Report
Trust Officials Are Not the
Only Guilty Ones.

washington, D. c., Dec. 11.-That
the department of justice intends
vigorous prosecution, in the efforts TO
recover all money due the government
as result of the sugar frauds at New
York and to punish all who may have
participated in them is shown by the
annual report of Attorney General
!, Wickersham made public today. After
briefly reciting the facts in the cases
which are of public knowledge he
says:
Is Network of Corruption.
The evidence has disclosed a net
work of corruption, not confined to the
American Sugar Refining company, ex-
tending over period Of years, affect
ing both importers and officers of the
government, and it is as yet premature
to state the precise extent Of the con
spiracy or the amount of the revenues
OF which the government has been de-
frauded While it is feared that the
statute of limitations may have run
In favor of many of the malefactors
who are responsible for these frauds,
yet no effort will be spared to ascer-
tain the precise amount of which the
government has been defrauded, to re-
cover all moneys due, and to punish
all those who may be found to have
participated in any respect in the
frauds, whether as officers or agents NJ
the importers or as officials of the gov
eminent I earnestly request special
appropriation of $4,000 to enable this
work to be effectively prosecuted
VIII Fight Case On.
Further litigation touching the "com-
n4odities clause cases." arising under
tire Interstate commerce law is prom
ised by the attorney general. Discuss
icg the decision Of the supreme court
IN these cases Mr.. Wickersham says
III o6cs, rot necessarily determine the
cpI licatl5n CT the statute TO cases
y her. the commodities transported
are owned by corporation, all, or
Substantially all, Of whose stock IS
owned by the carrier corporation at
the time CT transportation, and espe-
{ ally where the carrier shall have
transferred all Of its interest in such
commodities to a corporation formed
scr the express purpose OF evading the
prohibition OF the commodities clause,
crd all or substantially all of the
stock in which is owned by the carrier.
These questions will be presented for
determination in the courts. If the
prohibition of the statute can be sue
ccsssully evaded by the simple device
OF transfer of ownership of the prop
erty to a corporatioA~ ali of whose
stock shall be owned or controlled by
the carrier, congress should amend
the statute so as to make it an eff
fectual and not a merely illusory pro-
hibition, or else repeal it,"
Eye On Land Frauds.
In the matter of public land fraud
prosecutions the attorney general makes
II clear his determination is in no
respect to abate the effort to undo,
SO far as may be, the frauds (which
have been for so long a time perpe
trated in the procuring for private in
dividuals of portions of the public do
main contrary to the conditions unoel
which congress has authorized those
lands to be patented"
Important recommendations contain
ed in the report include those for q
broadening of the right of appeal 81
the government in criminal cases; 4
repeal of section $50 of the revised
statutes regarding evidence in Grim
inal cases, the enactment Of general
immunity statute to meet the condi
lions which arise in the endeavor II
procure testimony for the govern
ment; favoring a national law provid
ing for indeterminate sentences and
a modification of the statute fixing the
punishment for embezzlement or mis-
application of the funds of a national
bank at Imprisonment for five years
The attorney general refers to the
unsatisfactory sanitary conditions at
the District of Columbia jail which he
says Is reproach to the national gov
eminent and he earnestly recommends
an appropriation adequate to make
necessary improvements.