Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-24
ELLIS TRUST-BUSTER
Retained in Charge of Anti
Trust Prosecution.
BIGGER JOB AFTER awhile
To Be Head of Remodeled Bureau of
Corporation.
THAT IS. IF CONGRESS ACTS
President Proposes to Give All Power
to Department Of Justice.
Wise Succeeds Stimson.

Wise Succeeds Stimson.
Wade H. Ellis Of Ohio is the man
through whom Attorney General Wicker
sham will work In carrying out President
Tafts policy for the prosecution of anti
trust cases.
81 Mr. Ellis has been retained as special
assistant to the Attorney General, to have
charge Of all Investigations and prosecu-
tons of violators of the antitrust laws.
Later. If Congress establishes the new
bureau Of corporations that Taft wishes 1t
to appoint, Mr.. Ellis will be placed at its
head.
What the President has in mind is to
bring about a closer and more effective
relation between the Department of JUS
tice. the bureau of corporations of the
Department Of Commerce and Labor, and
the interstate commerce commission. At
present these three branches of the gov
ernment are not working with the har-
mony desirable.
The Department Of Justice and the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor get
along fairly we'll. But the attitude of the
interstate commerce commission some
times causes friction.
Objection to Present Scheme.
The principal objection to the present
system of prosecution of the railroads is
that much of it is done by special attor-
neys appointed by the Department of JUS
tice upon the nomination of the inter-
state commerce commission. These at
torneyS are carried on the rolls OF the
Department of Justice. but the Attorney
General has no power to direct and con-
troll their movements.
When they work up case against a
railroad the attorneys frequently eVfnce
a desire to take 1t along through the
courts themselves. instead of turning 1t
over to the regular United States attor-
neys. This lractice will be stopped by
President Taft, through the Attorney
General
BY degrees the friction will be checked
and the whole power Of prosecution placed
in the hands Of the Department of Jus.
tice, where the President thinks 1t ought
to be.
AS outlined by him. the Presidents pol.
icy will be to have the bureau of corpora.
tions Of the Department Of Commerce and
Labor look for evidence in all antitrust
cases. Evidence in railroad cases will be
turned over to the interstate commerce
commission. That body will review the
evidence and. If it thinks prosecution is
justified, will forward 1t to the Attorney
General.
He will pass 1t over to Mr.. Ellis, who
in turn will put in operation the wheels
of his trust-busting bureau. No prose-
state commerce commission.
Commission May Come Around.
That such a system will be fought by
the members of the interstate commerce
commission is anticipated. Just how
much the President can accomplish with
out special legislation by Congress is not
certain at this time.
Some powers of the interstate COM
merce commission cannot be curtailed
without legislation. Moral suasion'
from the White House may do a great
deal. The members Of the commission, it
must be remembered. do not hold Office
for life. 1t is not unlikely that they will
come to see the light OF President Taft's
rea asoning when it is put to them clearly.
At any rate the trust-busting bureau OF
the Department of Justice is to be rh 2
g whole works" in the matter of anti
trust Investigations and prosecutions
under the Taft administration. Ellis was
retained In his present position because
of his experience in that sort of work.
The esteem in which he is held by At
torney General Wickersham Is shown In
the statement concerning his reappoinr-
ment issued by Mr.. Wickersham, yester-
day. The statement follows:
1T was learned that the Attorney Cen
eral has asked Wade H. Ellis to continue
In his present position of assistant to the
Attorney General, and that Mr.. Ellis had
agreed to do SO. The investigation and
prosecution of violations of the antitrust
law are especially under the direction of
the assistant to the Attorney General,
and. in view of Mr.. Ellis successful ex-
perience in dealing with such questions
while he was attorney general of Ohio,
Attorney General Wickersham considered
1t important to continue him in charge of
that important branch of the work of the
Department of Justice.
Mr.. Ellis appointment insures a vigor-
Gus and intelligent prosecution of all Of
fenses against the antitrust law which
are brought to the attention of the depart
ment.'
Wise Succeeds Stimson.
Another change announced at the De-
partment of Justice is the appointment
Of Henry A. Wise to succeed Henry l..
Stmson, resigned as United States at
torney for the southern district OF New
York.
With regard to Mr.. Stimson's record,
Mr.. Wickersham had this to say:
Mr.. Stimson Is regarded by the de-
partment as having been one of the most
efficient and able district attorneys in the
country, and his resignation was received
with great regret. Mr.. Stimson's service.
however, will not be entirely lost to the
department.
Attorney General Wickersham has re-
tanned him as special assistant for the
purpose of conducting all further inves-
legations and prosecutions growing out
of the sugar frauds in New York. The
Attorney General has also retained Mr..
Stimson as special assistant to argue the