The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-24
President Said to Be About
10 Start Vigorous
Attack.
COURT DECISIONS
MAY HAVE BEARING
Blow, When Struck, Likely to
Give Wall Street a
Shaking.
By JAMES HAY, II.

On high authority, Il can be announced
that the Federal Governments prOCe-
dUre against the Beef trust is but the
forerUuner of numerous attempts by the
Administration 10 punish the bad
trusts
The President Is merely awaiting the
decisions OF the United States Supreme
Court TO open the guns of the Depart
ment OF Justice against any trust, cor
pUrat.on, OF merger which wears The
badge OF IleEaIity-
Friends OF lIr- Taft say ne is de-
termiued to carry out his promise 20
punish Ill combinations or corporations
which break or evade the law They
declare there have baeu on foot for the
past two months by -ne Department Of
Justice Investigations which wII put in
20 the hands Of the Attorney General
the facts which viii show him whether
prosecutions should be begun against
the corporations accused OF evil doing
These investigations have not been ad-
vertised. on the contrary, they have
been conducted quietly, and for that
reason their results have been all the
more effective
Court Decisions Awaited.
No doubt is entertained In Admins
trvtior circles that the decisions Of the
Supreme Court in the Standard Oh and
tobacco Trust cases VIII be afIrms-
tons II is not yet known however,
whether the decisions wllI say the Gov
eminent can proceed against the cor
pcratious on the holding company"
issue. or whether they VIII declare thar
the proceedings should be against those
corporations which snow the Signs OF
wilIfuI and malicious breaking of the
law.
THAT IS. the expectation is enter
tanned that the decisions viii hold that
those trusts which have broken the law
by such things as arbitrarily hN.1E tae
supply uncerSelIuE 10 destroy Compe-
titiou, and the other acts used % stilc
trade and competition, should DE pros
ecuted.
1t is said the Presidents advisers be-
iIeEeT the laSr named plan would be
the more just and il IS declared this
is the palm under which II IS thought
the Administration Viii ultimately act
against all the bad trusts"
limitations have been made 10 the
White House that this program should
not be followed out. as IL would hurt
business and Wall Street. but friends
Of Mt. Taft declare he takes the posi-
ton that no corporation which observes
the law need be IT, the least alarmed,
business because heterogeneous or the
law are corrected the injury cannot
be permanent In other words. he is
determined TO have business conducted
along lawful and upright lines
Steel Corporation In View.
There was more or less talk today
that the Steel Corporation has been
under rigid investigation by the De
partmeut of Justice. and that # viii
be one of the first corporations to go
before the courts. This. however. re-
ceived no confirmation iu official
circles except that il was said that
investiga lions have been made of all
the trusts and combinations against
whom there have been complaints IF
law brea king and evil doiuE-
In business circles, It is believed that
when the Presidents program Is fully
appreciated, there VIII be aISrruoduceS
all the more emphatic because OF the
blindness with which the public has
observed the Administration tactlr5-
There has been SO much talk 70 me
effect that this was q president WI %
would conserve the interests or DUSi-
ness at The expense OF the law that
men of Iarce affairs have shut their eyes
I'd, what v.or1TE have seemed under or
binary circurns -anccS full and sufficient
warning
friends of the Administration say those
hurt by il VIII have bought u upon tneiii-
selves OWING however TO lie 4acL una Z
the good trusts VIII not be Hu- { anu
that the only ones prosecuted are mos
with the badge Of IlleEalitE, II Shou-3
be sure that the ones with clean records
are safe from rnolestatlon-