Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-24
MACHINERY is IN MOTION
Investigation of Steel Combine Be-
lieved to Be Contemplated.
JUSTICE OFFICIALS ACTIVE
Department Only Awaits Decision
by U. S. Supreme Court in
Pending Suits.

known, has planned an extensive on
slaught on bad trusts for an early date.
Through Attorney General Wickersham
and Wade Ellis, assistant attorney gen.
eral and trust expert of the Department
OF Justice, he has practically got the ma
chinery in motion for his campaign. All
he is waiting for is the decisions Of the
United States Supreme Courts in the
Standard Oil and American Tobacco trust
cases. He is confident these decisions
will give the government wide powers of
proceeding against trusts that are de-
stroying competition and fixing prices
ruinous TO smaller and Independent con-
Germs.
The antitrust campaign will, it is now
believed. include the gigantic steel trust,
which trust will experience for the first
time the heavy hand of the government.
The President, to the few people he has
talked with on the subject, will not specify
definitely that the steel trust is to be
investigated and probably proceeded
against. He avoids any definite answer
as to this particular combination, but he
is known to feel that it might be just as
well for the government to be fully &C
quainted with the processes of this gi-
gantic combination. ARecently the Amer
charges against the trust, claiming it to
| be violating. in the most fragrant man.
| ner, the Sherman antitrust laws. This
complaint was forwarded to the De
partment of Justice in the usual way,
and has been given no unusual attention
| The steel trust has escaped proceedings
in the courts up to this time. the Depart
| ment of Justice under former admins
| tratiOnS having some doubts as tt
! whether it would be wise to tackle the
1 ay,Nni T-ff Fl
| dence as to the decisions of the Supreme
| Court is correct, there is little doubt tha
| the big combination will be among the
| first to he tackled.
Will Garry Out His Promises.
President Taft promised the people O
the country, in his campaign speeches
that he would enforce the Sherman anti
trust law. The republican national con
vention made the same promises. The
! President does not consider it necessary
| to get UP Oh the housetops every morn.
| ing and declare his intention to carry ou
| his campaign pledges. He proposes t
act and let the talking go.
! The President is greatly pleased witt
the effectiveness of the government or
zaniZation for the handling of the trusts. He
ismore than gratified with the activity and
earnestness of Attorney General Wicker
sham and the steady and the untirins
| Investigations of Mr. Ellis. He propose:
to strengthen the trust bureau of the
Department of Justice by the addition
of the best talent available when he
proceeds with his campaign of taking into
| the courts those concerns that appear
| to he more or less inclined to view the
laws of the government as inapplicable
to some combinations. The Department
available for this purpose, and the Presi-
dent proposes to ask the appropriation
committee of the House to keep the sup
ply we'll up.
No Combination Too Big.
| 1t is evident from the information avail
able today that some of the trusts tha
1 have been heretofore ranked among the
| good ones must make it pretty plair
that they are in that class. They will
| have to show the administration that they
are all right. The steel trust has always
put forward the claim that any attack
upon it would seriously endanger great
enterprises throughout the country anG
| lessen confidence generally. President
Taft feels that no combination is too big
| to escape thorough investigation, and
so soon as he gives the word the search.
| light will be thrown on big and little anG
| the courts invoked, if determined neces-
sary. That they will be invoked in q
number of instances is now the plan.
President Taft evidently looks for q
pretty early decision from the Supreme
| Court in the two big cases pending before
| that tribunal.
There is no possible chance. from in
side information. that the suit against
| the Union and Southern Pacific merger
will be dropped by the administration
Out of courtesy to the officials of those
roads the administration has permitted
| the filing of memorandum setting forth
the contention of the officials that the
government has no case and should drOE
| its efforts. The President is SO far in
clined to the opinion that the best place
to test the question of a good or bad case
| is in the courts.