Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-06-09
CRIMINAL ACT TO
BE- USED AGAINST
HEADS OF TRUSTS
"LcEersham Tells the House
committee He Intends to
Prosecute Law Violators.

washington. June 1.-The recent
tecisions Of the supreme court in the
9{]nCaTd OH and American Tobacco
cases will result in a sweeping at
teinIt to secure criminal conviction Of
Uo.ato"s of the antitrust laws, ac-
ycfClhS to Attorney General Wicker
lam, VINO appeared today before the
House committee on Expenditures in
ne department. of justice.
Mr.. WiCkersham testified that he
Lad advised the United States Steel
corporation on several occasions from
1901 TO 1909 during his connection with
me hrm Of Strong & Cadwallader, and
also that he had received his share of
IN" Zee turned into the firm for serv-
ices 10 the American Sugar Refining
lomrany, personally attended to by
Henry w. Taft, brother of the presi-
dent and a member Of the firm. Mr..
W!ckersham said his share was about
$26, 600.
That Friar Land Deal.
Mr.. Wickersham was questioned
chiefly by Representative BealI. of
Texas. chairman of the committee,
concerning the sale by the government
Of friar lands in the Philippines to
the American Sugar Refining COM
pany. He said that Henry w. Taft
had at n time appeared as a special
attorney for the government against
he "licorice trust" a part OF the
American Tobacco company.
Mr.. Wickersham declared that after
he became attorney general, John
Henry Hammond represented Strong
d Caldwallader as counsel for the So
called sugar trust in the purchase Of
the friar lands. He added that at the
time he gave his opinion permitting
tha cola Of thA1n lands kn ISI pnt
know that Hammond represented the
president of the American Sugar Re-.
timing company, Mr.. Havemeyer.
He Advised Steel Trust.
When asked about the connecton OF
tho firm with steel affairs, Mr.. Wick
eraham said:
Il personally have advised the Uni
ted States Steel corporation in n or
tWo matters"
Did Strong & CadwaItader ever rep.
resent the New York Cotton ex-
changer" asked Chairman BealI.
Yes, Henry w. Taft was counsel for
the exchange" Mr.. Wickersham re-
piled, land I think he still continues in
that capacity"
The chairman sought particularly to
learn Of the attorney general why the
department of justice and treasury ac-
cepted a 81, 900. 900 settlement from the
American Sugar Refining company as
restitution for u~ndervaluations at the
port of New York, rather than enforce
the severe penalty provided for by law.
Mr.. Wickersham replied that the de-
partment felt the evidence at hand was
not sufficient to support a claim for
penalties, though it vas his belief that
restitution vas made because the cor
poration feared penalties would be inn
posed.
Says Case Was Dubious.
"Then it was your judgment" sug-
gested Mr.. Beall, that notwithstand-
ing the fact hat the government had
access TO a memorandum ooh showing
the real weight of sugar imported and
to books showing fraudulent weights, if
the government had attempted to COL
lect the penalties there was strong
probability of failure?"
Yes" Mr.. Wickersham answered. IT
was sufficiently dubious to make it in
expedient to go on. l think the ST.
900, 900 settlement was the best posi-
BILE arrangement"
The attorney general denied that
there was m agreement preventing
criminal prosecution.
That right" he said, was spe-
officially reserved TO the government"