The Detroit times., 1911-01-10
TO TRY MANY SUITS
COMBINES
Attorney-General Plans To Clean U
Cases in Next Six Months and
To Ask Prison Sentences.

WASHINGTON, Jan 1O.-The next
half year promises TO be q strenuous
one for officials Of the department a.
justice from the attorney-general down
to the ONCE boy, says q special 70 the
New York World. The same period
also promises to be one or unrest aud
worry for some OF the larger corpora
tons and trusts and their oficials.
Within the period the attorney-gen-
eral will endeavor TO bring to sue
cessful close the suits already institute
ed against ten or a dozen corporations
and have the investigations of half a.
many more completed and ready for
presentation to either a civil or
criminal court.
First comes the case OF the Tobacco
Trust, the brief OF which the depart
ment fled with the United States SUI
preme court last week. Arguments
were begun Friday and were contin-
ued Monday. This case will be .olloW~
ed by the rehearings of the Standard
Oil and the corporation tax cases.
While these cases are being heard
In theh igher tribunal some of the best
legal minds in the department were
In Chicago combating the array Of
legal talent employed by the Beef
Trust I'm an effort to bring that cor
poration before the criminal courts
and checkmating moves for delaying
prosecution.
In this case every effort Is being
made by the department to get prison
sentences with convictions.
At the same time the now famous
Bathtub Trust case viii come up for
hearing and trial. Here an army OF
trust officials have been indicted by Q
federal grand jury on criminal
charges. This case is set for an ear
ly hearing.
Unlike the beef barons, the ofiiciale
Of the aBthtub Trust have virtually
confessed their guilt and asked for
clemency. According to Attorney Gen
eral Wichersham there will be no
clemency. Every official indicted will
be tried and every effort made by the
prosecution for conviction and pris
on sentence.
In both these cases civil suits also
have been entered. In the case ol
the former civil suit was withdrawn
to make way for criminal prosecution
and to prevent delay of the latter
trials. II will be Reconstructed as soon
as the criminal cases are out OF the
road
There Is a suit In equity against the
, Great Lakes Towing monopoly. This
suit will be threshed out. M1it
against the Wholesale grocers' combins
alton doing business In the southern
states will face court music on the
charge OF conspiracy to restrain any
grocer except member OF the monop-
oily from selling the products OF the
grocers' combination. Then there II
the Butter and Egg Board OF Elgin,
against which the department has evi-
dence tending TO show that 1t Is =
combination which controls the price
of butter and eggs. A suit against II
will be started. The Brick Trust Is
labeled for criminal prosecution, as
Indictments were returned by federal
grand jury against it's officers. A dis
solution suit also has been entered.
The sixteen-hour law relating TO rail-
way employees In interstate commerce.
will come up for adjudication The
railroads have insisted that II Is un-
constitutional and will do everything
In their power to break IL down.
In April, 1910. charges were laid be-
fore the department to the effect that
certain individuals had formed com
bination to monopolize the production
OF raw cotton. An investigation was
made and the matter presented to the
grand jury. with the result that sew
eral prominent New York brokers
were indicted. Thtey will face the
courts on indictments within the six
months.
In addition to the above suits, all
pending. there are numerous suits
arising under the interstate commerce.
law, appeals from the decisions of the
interstate commerce commission and
federal circuit courts.
While these suits are being fought
the best agenss in the employ of the
government will busy themselves col
lecting the remaining evidence neces-
sary for criminal and civil suits
against the great Electrical Trust or
combination and the Rubber Trust.
The former, according to officials or
the department OF justice. Is OF great
er qualifications than the Standard OIL
or Tobacco Trusts.
All i'm all il will be the most strenu-
Gus six months the department or
Justice has ever experienced. and IL
Attorney General Wickersham's plans
do not go astray at the end OF the fis-
cal yea rhe will have huch that has
been accomplished to write In his
annual report 10th q president, and
for the president TO show the Ameri-
can people what his administration
has done.