Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-06-10
STEEL TRUST NEXT
Government is Ready to
Bring Suit.
LAY SECRETS BEFORE TAFT
Solicitor General Lehman and Com
missioner of Corporations Knox
to Supply Information to
Start Action.
LAY SECRETS BEFORE TAFT

Washington, June T. - The United
States Steel corporation will be the
next of the great trusts to be hailed
into court. 1t is said the department
of justice is ready to bring suit to
dissolve the corporation.
The investigation of the steel trust
is being conducted by Solicitor Gen.
eral Lehman. 1t was one of the first
duties assigned to him when he as
sumed office last winter. The admins
tration had sought an investigation
some time prior to that, but Attorney
General Wickersham was himself at
one time an attorney for the steel
trust and did cot care to undertake 1t,
and for some reason William s. Ken
yon, at that time the trust buster"
for the department of justice, did not
care to shoulder the investigation. 1t
was therefore given to Lehman as his
most important duty in the office OF
solicitor general.
Mr.. Lehman has been working at II
persistently ever since and he has
been aided by attorneys for the depart
ment investigating the affairs of the
concern in New York and elsewhere.
However, it is not possible to learn
how far along the investigation has
got The length of time required
would depend upon the attitude of the
trust, the ramifications of the organi-
cation and the nature of the prosecu-
ton to be brought. The investigation
and preparation of the Standard Oil
suit in its first stages required year
and a half. For the tobacco trust
nearly three years were taken.
Also beyond the question of time
required for the government to perfect
it's suit enters the probability of de-
cision by the department of justice
that the evidence obtained does not
warrant a suit. AS the solicitor gen.
eral is working alone and entirely in
dependently on this case it is difficult
to learn what progress has been made.
1t is said that the commissioner of
corporations, Herbert Knox Smith, has
about completed his investigation of
the affairs of the steel trust and that
he will submit this to the president in
a short time for use in conjunction
with the prosecution. This would pre-
clude a criminal investigation, as in
formation given to the commissioner
insures immunity from criminal pros
ecution. This information, however.
could be employed in a suit in equi- y
for the dissolution of the trust under
the Sherman antitrust law.
Mr.. Smiths report is founded upon
investigations ordered by President
Roosevelt, which have been continued
by direction of President Taft. While
government action might be influenced
by the report, it would not be based
upon it.
The report Of the commissioner Of
corporations is the document which
the special committee of the house
probing the steel trust" tried to get
from the department of commerce and
labor 1t was refused to the probers
by direction of President Taft. This
fact led to bitter criticism of the pres
ident in the report of the wool tariff
to the house.
The probers expressed great desire
TO have the data collected by Mr..
Smith and went to the extent of ques-
tioning Judge E. H. Gary as to wheth-
er he knew anything about the report
being made to the president.