Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-12
UNCLE SANS WORK
As TRUST BUSTER
ATTORNEY GENERAL REPORTS
TO CONGRESS ON WORK OF
PAST YEAR.
MANY PROSECUTIONS
COMPLETED OR PENDING
Much Money Recovered From Sugar
Trust for Interviewing Frauds
imror;ant Suits Pending Against
Railroads for Rebatins-Get Rich
Quick Schemes Hit


port OF Attorney General Wickersham IN
presented to congress today, Is one long
story Of frauds against the government.
Trusts. so-callcd and real. their al
legged conspracies To defeat the law:
land frauds. customs frauds. frauds on
the internal revenue. rebates. bucket
shops and fraudulent uses OF the mails
have made 1910 the most strenuous
year in the history OF the department
OF justice, and Mr. Wickcrsham states
that only the earnest and enthusiastic
work Of the men OF his force has made
the work successful.
THE salaries paid are small" he
says, "and the funds available for spc-
cial counsel do not permit the payment
OF fees which bear any comparison with
those offered by private interests. But
notwiths standing these obstacles the de-
partmcnt Is fortunate In having been
able to secure the services OF earnest
and competent lawyers to whose ability
and industry are duo the very large
measure OF success that has attended
the management of the legal business
OF the government during the year.
Antitrust Prosecution.
Prosecutions for violation of the anti
trust law were foremost in the work OF
tho year Actions, says the attorney
general. are now under way or pending
against the following so-called trusts:
Tobacco trust
Standard OIL Company.
Sugar trust.
Hartman lines.
Hard coal trust.
Powder trust.
Terminal Railway Association OF st.
Louis.
Towing trust. on the Great Lakes.
James A. Patton e.d others for an
alleged corner In cottNi.
Beef trust
Wholesale groccrs' trust
Rutt>r and egg trust.
Brick trust.
Bath tub trust.
The following convictions were Sc
cured and fines imposed during the
year:
Paper trust. fined ........... $4,000
Night riders. fined ............ $500
Window glass trust, fined .. 10000
After the attorney generals report
came from the press. however. tn"
American Naval Stores Company,
known as tho Turpentine trust. and six
co defendants were convicted OF viola
tions Of the antitrust law. Two OF the
Individual defendants were sentenced
20 three months each In Jail and fines
aggreg,ting $4,000 were imposed.
Much Money Recovered.
Prosecutions Of the sugar trust for
frauds upon the government In the
Weighing OF raw sugar recovered Tor
the government s3,l3,.S63ss. Cnnvic-
tions and sentence Of individuals. still
fresh In tho public mind, wcre secured
Most extensive of all frauds against
the government yet discovered. are
those in the undervaluat!ons or I'M
ports into tho United States. The cx-
tent of the treasury losses can only be
conjectured. Ever stop OF the In
vestign ton shows fresh loads
There ara now suits under way to
recover 500 900 OF which the customs
revenue is aaid 70 have been defraudcd
IN imports OF cheese and figs from
Mediterranean ports, indictments are
pend,ng and some convictions have
been secured A highly organized sys-
tenn TO derraud the government has
been disclosed.
More than thirty Individual indict-
ments are pending against persons
charged with smuggling w'h "s!eepnr
trunl5." Offers OF compromise and
prayers for immunity are In the hand
Of the attorney genera, from several
firms OF Importers who have confessed
to frauds in unhcrval,lations.
Indictments for Rotating.
Twcnty-fl five criminal Indictments
charging rebating and other illegal dis
ordinations are pending against rail-
roads. private corporations and in
dividuaIs. Two convictions with fines
were secured during the year.
Land frauds are probably entitled
to place with the customs frauds and
violations Of the antl-trus. law. The
department won signal victories during
the year against unlawful fencing Of
the public domain. In nInety-e eight
civil suits and twenty-cight criminal
prosecutions more than 400 900 acres of
land Illegally fenced were restored to
the government
Prosecutions against the Oregon &
California Railroad Company and for
ty-fve other defendants 10 recover q
300, 900 acres OF land valued at $50. O.O0O,-
900 which the government claims are
illegally held. are now pending. There
are also under way twenty four suits
against the Central Pacific Railway
Company and others TO recover thou