Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-27
THREE JUDGES WILL SIT
IN THE INITIAL HEARING
Attorney General Files Certificate
Of Importance"
THINKS CASE Is COMPLETE
Government Expects to Prove Steel
Corporation Is Merely a Giant
Trust. Holding a Dozen
Others.

Now that the governments fight 10 dis
solve the United States Steel Corporation
has been fairly started. there will be no
slow moments in the battle
When the bill was flied in the United
States court at Trenton yesterday ask
ing for the dissolution OF the corporation
and its subsidiaries, Attorney General
Wickersham also filed "a certificate OF
case is of utmost Importance TO the gov
ernment and asks that 1t be heard by =
bench of three justices. ordinarily il
would be heard by only one.
Mr.. Wickersham was asked this morn
ing whether he believed the steel corpor-
alton would reorganize, He said lac did
not know. but hoped this would result
Attorney General Wickershams eel
tificate OF public Importance. flied with
the government blu. follows:
Urges Early Hearing.
~ hereby certify that abovc-es-
titled cause now impending tn said
court IL . suit In equity brought by
the United states against the United
states steel Cooperation and other de-
fendants named therein, under the act
Of Congress entitled nm act 60 protect
traae and commerce against usiswfUi
restraint and monopoly, approved July
2, 1890, and that sald suit % IN ny
opinion . case 0f generai public Inn
p0rtance.
81 therefore request that, completes
with the provisions Of the sct Of Goa
gress entttied N sct to expedite the
nearfDgs and the teFminattOn OF SUITS
an eqDsty pending OF Hereafter brought
under thc act OF July =, lSSs, approved
reDrusry II, 1905, You will nie this
cerlincste smOng the records Oe the
above entitled cause, and immediately
FURNISH . copy thereof 10 each Of the
csrcuit Judges Of the third circuit, 90
the end that said case shall he gwen
precedence over other cases In the said
court and be assigned for heating Mt
the earliest practscaDse date before not
sess than three of the circuit Judges
Of said circust, as n provided b.. the
net Of February IL, 1885,
Many Chances for Delay.
Although the steel corporation Will have
until January, 10 mahe Its answer TO the
governments allegation that II is a dozen
trusts within a trust, menace TO the
nation" and practically the most COM
pete monopoly ever perfected In this
country, there are possipiities of other
developments in the meantime Attor-
neys for the corporation may demur to
the governments charges. In that event
there might be some ueiay. After tnat
possibility IL disposed of the circuit corr.
proba bly, will appoint n master Ia near
testimony, and a battle OF giants will be-
ein
Attorney General Wickersham I'D
other Department of Justice oincials eA-
pect to make progress mucn more rapid
~ than was done in either the Stanaard
OH OF the tobacco cases IL MAS "a iiitl"
less than tive years from the time those
cases were started until tney reached the
Supreme Court of the United States for
decision
The Supreme Courts decision in those
cases, however, is expected to expedite
the trial Of the steel case. The govern
ment view is that the courts decision
in the oil case as regards stock holdings
and interhoidings can be applied To the
steel corporation.
sIlant Holding Trust.
The governments purpose is 10 sho.
that the steel corporation is only giant
trust to hold at least A dozen others.
The bill charges that the Federal Steel
Company. the Carnegie Company Of New
Jersey. the American steer and Wire
Company of New Jersey. the National
TUBE Company. the National Steel Com
pany. American Tin Pate COMPANY.
American Steel Hoop Company. American
Sheet Steel Company and others are
illegal trusts I'm themselves. and comhina-
tons TO monopolize trade The govern-
ment asks that all these companies DO
dissolved and set back into the integral
units OF which they were formed, even
before the organization of the United
States Steel Corporation In this respect
the petition is complete.
Combinations within combinations.
pools within pools agreements. both
written and unwrittcn. TO fix prices and
stiae competition are alleged in minute
details I'm the suit, which attempts TO
show that by immense holdings OF iron
orc. ownership of railroads and powerful
relations with other great corporations
the alleged trust has worked itself into a
yeritable Gibraltar Practically every
product OF steel. from rails and bridges
down to steel plates and wires. is alleged
to be controlled 10y some pool or agree
ment.
Talk of Criminal Action.
The beginning Of the civil suit raises
the question Of criminal prosecution or
those who were active i'm the formation
OF the corporation There is no ofi1ciai
obtainabie at this time upon
that point. There are said te be grave