Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-10-28
First Step in Giant Corpora
TONS Struggle For Existence
Expected to Be at Trenton
December Fourth,
GOVERNMENT RESOLVED
TO EXPEDITE LITIGATION
Taking of Testimony May 0C-
cupy Full Year With Legal
ManeuverS Likely to Occupy
Many More Months,
lBy Morning journal Special Leased wirel


Washington, oct, 21.-The United
states steel corporations first legal
battle with the government for It's ex-
lstence viii be taken Monday, Decem-
ber 1.
on that day an array of counsel
which promises To include some OF
the most brilliant legal minds in
America will appear before the Unit
ed states circuit court at Trenton. n.
j., in which the governments disso-
luton suit has been brought.
on January 2, 1919 the steel cor
poration Is expected to file Its answer
to the governments charges.
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
thirty days more grace, thus extend
ing their time to February 2.
In the meantime they may demur
to some of the governments allega-
tons, or they may file bill of excep-
tions. Either action would delay au-
tomatically the actual beginning OF
the trial. The government expects
/ that no one of the formalities of law
will be overlooked by its opponents.
1t Is possible, however, that no legal
| technicalities may be thrown In the
way and, in that case. the earliest
| date upon which the trial can begin
| IN January 2.
| The procedure will be for Judges
! GRAY. Laning and burlington to ap-
point master TO hear testimony. The
master 80 appointed VIII take evil
dence In various parts OF the country.
1t required a year and half to take
the testimony In the Standard oil
quick time The government expects
ton.
When the taking Of testimony Is
finished and both sides have been
heard, the circuit court viii decide
the issue. whichever side loses will
appeal and by the operation OF the
so-called expeditlng act the case VIII
jump to the supreme court.
Department Of justice officials do
not feel that the supreme court de-
cisions In the oil and tobacco cases
VIII decide the steel case. Attorney
General Wickersham today declared
he is convinced more than ever that
each case must be settled upon It's
own merits and that the oil and to-
bacco cases can not fairly be called
"nodels" for solving the trust ques-
tion.
Mr.. Wickersham was asked today
II he hoped to see business return 10
the conditions of competition which
prevailed before the first trust came
into existence
81 do not" he replied. II cannot
because do not think u possible.
we can not return to our swaddling
clothes. We must adjust TO u new set
Of conditions entirely"
"Do you think that can be done
within the present laws, without fur
ther upsetting buslness?" he asked.
II hope So" replied the attorney
general "but I do not know"
1T ought to be made clear" CON
tinued Wlckersham, that there IL no
conflict in the steel case between the
department of Justice and the Stanley
committee of the house OF represen-
tatves, which has been investgatlng
the steel corporation. That commit
tee has been conducting lis nvesti-
cations to determine what legislation
may be desirable to meet the eeonom-
ic question raised by the trusts and
combinations; the suit filed by the
department of Justice is legal pro-
ceedng to compel the observance OF
the law"
when the attorney general was
asked II he hoped the steel corpora
tlon would volunteer to re-adiust It's
organization and avert further pros
ecution as has been done by the In
ternationa Harvester company, the
Electrical trust the Southern Grocers
Trust and some other combinations
he indicated that he expected no such
conciiatory move.
Official Washington is still Won
dering how the preparations for the
filing of the bill were conducted with
such secrecy. The bill was not set IN
type In the government printing Of
flee. as such petitions usually are, but
was printed by the private concern
that prints the decisions OF the su-
prcme court.
II was intimated at the department
of Justice today that the government
considers its case practically COM
plete.
The legal machinery set In motion
here yesterday by the government
against the United States Steel cor
poratlon has lain idle today awaiting
the word from Washington. Three
score subpoenas to be served upon
defendants had not reached the office
Of the United states marshal.
Fourteen of the defendant corpora
tions have offices or agents within
the state and these will be served by
the marshal OF this district. other
subpoenas for individual defendants
and the remaining corporations OUT
side the state will be sent to the
proper marshals.
District Attorney John II, Yree-
land was not especially optimistic re-