Ripley County democrat., 1910-12-16
TELLSOF HIS WORK
Annual Report Deals With Pros
ecutions Under Anti -TruStLaw.
STATUS OF IMPORTANT CASES.
Standard OIL and Tobacco Trust Cases
to Be Argued In Supreme Court
Next Menth--Department lnvestl.
gates All Complaints.

10 BE argued IN supreme court
Next Msnth--Department lnvestl.
gates All Complaints.
Washington, Dec. 13.-The annual
report of Attorney General Wicker
sham, presented to congress, is one
long story OF frauds against the gov
ernment.
Trusts, so called and real, their al
legged conspiracies 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 atrocious
year In the history Of the department
Of justice. Mr.. Wickersham states
that only the earnest and enthusiastic
work of the men OF his force has
made the work successful. He says:
Probably more public interest is
felt In the prosecutions under the anti
trust law than in any other branch Of
the work Of the department Of justice.
At the date Of my last annual report
It was hoped that during the ensuing
year the application Of this law to The
great combinations OF corporations ef-
fected by means Of intercorporate
stock holdings would have received
authoritative Interpretation by the su-
preme court In the two suits against
the socalled tobacco trust and the 30
called Standard OIL trust, respectively.
The case against the tobacco trust
was argued and submitted to the SUI
preme court in December, 1909. and
the appeal Of the Standard OIL COM
psny In March, 1910. Justice Moody
was prevented by illness from sitting
at the hearing OF these appeals, and
after the cases were argued and sub
mitted Justice Brewer died. Follow
ing his death the court restored the
cases to the docket and assigned them
for re-argumept before . full bench.
They are now assigned to be argued
In January. 1911.
UNION FaCtftC outts
THE suit In equity brought against
the Southern Pacific Railroad company
and the Uniop Pacific Railroad com
pany, to enjoin the continued control
Of the former by the latter, has been
argued and submitted to the circuit
court OF the United States in the
eighth circuit. but no decision has
been rendered.
"The prosecution Of e l. du Pont
de Nemours & Co., ct al, known as
the powder trust" has progressed
during the year. The taking Of testi-
mony has been completed and the
case will be shortly submitted to the
United States circuit court for its de-
cision.
Al Complaints Investigated.
ut has been the policy Of the depart
ment to carefully Investigate all COM
plaints made to It concerning con.
tracts, combinations, >oy conspiracies
IN restraint Of trade or commerce In
violation Of the Sherman act. Many
Of these complaints. upon investiEa-
ton. prove 70 be gronndlsss, or de-
yelop sources Of complaint wholly out.
side q the scope Of the federal law.
The decisions OF the supreme court.
however, sustain. beyond controversy.
the proposition that evsrg contract.
'ccmhtnatior IN the form. Of trust or
otherwise, OF conspiracy having for it,
purpose, or directly and necessarily ef-
fecting the control Of prices, suppress
sion Of competition. creation Of q
monopoly. Or other obstruction o. re.
sffaint Of trade or commerce among
the states, Is made illegal BY the
Sherman act: and that every person
who shall make such contract. or en-
gage IN such combination o. conspIFa
g. 4 guilty Of = misaemeanor and Il.
abs 70 ane and imprisonment. There
fore. where the evidence tends %
show mat ths defendants have com
biued under contract skreemenf. trust
Or otherwise. with The obvious intsn.
tins = rsssfictin< oairal. dividing ter.
riter5. nxipE pric>s ezclstinr cen
pe<lzlaa o. otherNias rsstrziniEk n
feF6tszz = foreign eaua6erce. o. -
tempting to nonopoiIzs comneree
snonx {he states O. nth forsi<n conn-
frIez, ne department has consider<d
l<ezH f1rf< ~ <TI6fu<< 81 rr<I 1@I|&.