The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-11-02
STEEL FIGHT
BEGINS DEG. 4
ARRAY OF COUNSEL TO APPEAR
BEFORE THE U. S. CIRCUIT
COURT IN TRENTON
WILL LAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS
Loser to Appeal and Supreme Tribunal
Viii Decide the lssue-oil and
Tobacco Rulings Are Not
Criterion.

Washington, Oct. 30.-The United
States Steel corporations first step in
the legal battle with the government
for its existence will be taken Monday,
Dec. 4. On that day an array of u
sci whichapromises to include some Of
the most brilliant legal minds in
America, will formally appear before
the United States circuit court at
Trenton, N. j., in which the govern
ment's dissolution suit has been
brought. ,.
On Jan. @, 1912, the steel corpora
ton is expected to file it's answer to
the governments sensational charges,
which hardly have been paralleled in
all the antitrust suits brought by the
of justice. d
Several legal maneuvers, of which
the steel corporations lawyers could
avail themselves, may postpone the
date of their answer, for they have
the right to ask the court to give 30
days more grace, thus extending their
time to Feb. 2.
In the meantime, they may demur to
some of the governments allegations
or they may file a bill of exceptions.
Either action would automatically de-
lay the actual beginning of the trial.
The government expects that none of
the formalities of law will be over
looked by its opponents. It is pos
sible, however, that no legal technical
tiles may be thrown in the way in that
case, the earliest date upon which the
trial a begin is Jan. 2.
Three Judges to Name Master.
The procedure will be for Judges
Gray, Lanning and Burlington to ap-
point a master to hear testimony. The
master so appointed will take evidence
in various parts of the country. 1t re-
CURED a year and a half to take the
testimony in the Standard Oil case.
The government expects to do as well
in the steel case.
When the taking of testimony is fin
tshed and both sides have been heard,
the circuit court will decide the issue.
Whichever side loses will appeal and
by the operation of the so-called expe-
diting act, the cas- will jump to the
supreme court, where the fate of the
greatest corporation in the world will
be decided.
Department of justice officials do not
feel that the supreme court decisions
In the oil and tobacco cases will de-
eide the steel case. Attorney General
Wickersham declared he is convinced
more than ever that each case must
be settled on it's own merits and that
the oil and tobacco cases cannot fairly
be called models for solving the trust
question.
The attorney general was asked if
he hoped the steel corporation would
volunteer to readjust it's organization
and avert a further prosecution of the
suit, as has been done by the Interna-
tional Harvester company, the cleo
trical trust, the Southern Grocers'
trust, and some other combinations.
He indicated that he expected no such
conciliatory movement. .....
Department of justice officials think
it will be a fight to the finish. Mr..
Wickersham declined to say if he is
preparing or considering criminal pros
ecution of any of the defendants in
the case.
It was declared that Jacob M. Dick
1nson, former secretary of war, who
has been engaged as the governments
special counsel, would occupy the
same position in the case against the
steel corporation that Frank B. Kel.
logg Of St. Paul did in the Standard
Oil case.
1t was intimated at the department
of justice that the government con.
siders it's case practically complete.
Special agents who have worked for
The last two years or more still are
gathering some loose ends, but on the
Whole the attorney general feels con
hdent in going to trial on what evi.
dence has been obtained.
Now that the governments fight to
dissolve the United States Steel cor.
poration has been fairly started. there
will be no slow movement in the bat.
tie.
When the bill was filed in United
States court at Trenton asking for the
dissolution of the corporation and it's
subsidiaries Attorney General Wick.
ersham also filed "a certificate of pub.
lie Importance" This states that the
case is of utmost Importance to the
government and asks that it be heard
by a bench Of four justices. Ordinar.
lily it would be heard by only one.
The governments bill charges that