The Washington times., 1911-06-21

That the excessive expenditures for
condemning property in the District Of
Columbia, which are indicated by the
report of the Department Of Justice, are
mainly attributable to the administra-
ton of former Attorney General Bona
parte, is urged by persons who have
been looking into details of these mat
ters.
Beyond this, It is pointed out that
sharp differentiation must be made be-
tween the, expenditures from the trust
prosecution fund and those from other
funds.
Under the last administration, the
trust prosecution fund was $4,000
year. Now It is only $4,000 year. The
department will send back to the treas
ury something like $4,000 at the end of
the current year. despite that It has
been doing an unprecedentedly large
amount of antitrust work. The showing of
results accomplished Is an occasion of
especial pride to the organization In
the trust busting department at present.
A sharp contrast, in these regards, will
in due time be developed, between the
Bonaparte and the Wickersham admin
istrations.
Inc lnTliIy uleIuOuS VI TIE IlTIIl Ol hci-
ogg & Severance have come in for COM
ment for long time. Mr.. Kellogg was
counsel In the Standard Oil and Union
Pacific cases. He was also ccSnsel OF
the Chicago, Great Western railroad,
and when that property went into the
hands of receivers was placed in charge
of it's legal work. This was in effect a
Government position, with a fine fee
attached, the court having general
charge of the property.
Dislike Kellogg.
The Government lawyers in Wash
ington were not at all pleased when
Kellogg, as Great Western counsel.
broke a bad hole through the safety
appliance act.
They did not fancy his appearance for
the Government in the Standard OIL
and Union Pacific cases, and against
It in the safety appliance matter. His
firm is credited with getting away with
nearly $4,000 in the last two years from
these antitrust cases, the while having
time to handle the Great Western busi-
ness. as well as the Steel Corporations
affairs In Minnesota.
The supposition that the big fees that
have been reported to the House Com
mittee on Expenditures, come from the
trust prosecution fund does injustice
TO the hard working lawyers who have
done the real work of prosecuting these
cases. When Attorney General Wick
ersham. and, later his assistant, now
Senator Kenyon. came to the depart
ment, they found a great corps OF
special counsel employed, from whose
activities the results were OF dubious
value Many of these were in the
midst of cases, and reform OF the sys-
foIx nnaathla In
the policy was adopted of employing
fewer special assistants. and requiring
that the business be done by the de-
partment's regular lawyers.
For instance, o. E. Harrison has for
a long time been working on the prep.
aration of cases involving the control
of the coal fields by the railroads. He
has drawn $500 a year salary, and his
work recently resulted in indictments at
Toledo in the Hooking Valley and Sun
day Creek railroad cases. The work on
which he is engaged Is regarded as one
of the most important departments Of
the antitrust activities at present.
Barton Corneau, who is credited with
drawing S,S3S. Sc for services in such
cases as may be assigned to him., has
been in Chicago working on the Beef
trust cases. He gets "a, 400 year sal
airy.
Sims a Handicap.
In connection with the Beef trust
cases the department has been at all
times Handicapped because the district
attorney in Chicago. Edwin W. Sims, is
a strictly political appointee. Nominally
in direct charge OF the Beef cases, Sims
has been practically secondary to spe-
cial counsel whom the department
placed in charge, because of Mr.. Sims
alleged lack of qualifications for the
work. The real services have been rem
dered by ]. II. Wilkerson, Sims assist
ant. an excellent lawyer, working at a
very modest salary, and Mr.. Corneau.
Wiikerson tried the famous S29,000,Oo0
Standard Oil case. The Department OF
Justice allowed him an extra $1,000 from
the prosecution fund, in addition to his
s., 600 salary, because he had so fully
earned 1t. 1t has been an open secret
for a long time that II the department
recommendations could gain force
enough to overcome the insistence of