The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-12-12
Closing Year Has Been Most Strenuous in His.
tory of ent---Prosecutions for No-
lations of Anti Trust Laws in Lead -Two
Convictions Against Trusts---lmport
UnderUaluations ProUe Most
ExtensiUe Frauds.

The attorney general recommends
that a general immunity statute, such
as exists under the interstate COM
merce laws, should be enacted to apply
to criminal prosecutions generally, but
says such a statute should only pro-
tect witness from the consequence
of the testimony he is about to give.
Twenty-Five criminal indictments
charging rebating and other Illegal dis
ordinations are pending against rail
roads, private corporations and indi-
lviduals. Two convictions with fines
were secured during the year.
| Land frauds, are probably entitled
to place with the customs frauds and
violations of the antitrust law. The
department won signal victories dur
ling the year against unlawful fencing
!, of the public domain. In 9S civil suits
and 2S criminal prosecutions more
than 100000 acres of land illegally
fenced were restored to the govern
ment
Prosecutions against the Oregon &
California Railroad company and As
other defendants to recover 100000
acres of lands valued at $4,000, 600
which the government claims are IL
legally held, are now pending. There
are also under way "a suits against
the Central Pacific Railway company
and others to recover thousands of
acres of valuable lands, which the gov
ernment contends were illegally pat
ented, probably with the private knowl-
edge that they were valuable for the
mineral and oils underneath.
In the departments campaign
against bucket shops, $50 such places
were closed, others voluntarily closed
as a result of the crusade and indict-
ments are pending against men and
corporations and the telegraph com
pany which allowed the use of its
wires.
The bureau of investigation, which
has built up an efficient secret police
began raids on firms charged with us.
ing the mails for fraudulent purposes
The attorney general recommends leg
islation to permit the agents of that
bureau to administer oaths and serve
processes.
During the year there were 1871
criminal cases of all sorts in the
United States courts which produced
fines, forfeitures and penalties aggre
eating $1,OSS,974.
Mr.. Wickersham recommends legis
lation to give the right of appeal in
Indian cases, a law for the issue OF
search warrants for property stolen
from the government; that federal
judges be allowed travelling expenses
within their own districts and that the
salaries of all federal judges be in
creased. He also recommends that the
statute of limitations in customs
frauds be extended from three to five
years. The attorney general also rec
ommends legislation to permit the
United States to sue and prosecute an
offending corporation wherever thai
corporation may do business
AS result of the attorney generals
recent trip to Alaska he presents some
recommendation for the relief in thai
territory Some law should be en-
acted to help the needy and deserving
poor in that cline, he says. Under the
present law, when a person is found
with legs or arms frozen off or starved
nearly to death, it is necessary L
charge the invalid with vagrancy ant
have him committed in order to ge
treatment in a government hospital