The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-01
q ickersham Pre- dict S
Sentences form agnates
Who Violate Law.
~ A Y CLEARED BY
i SUPREME COU r 7
Decisions in Standard Oil and
Tobacco Cases Will Make Con-
viotions Easier, and Criminal
Prosecutions Against lille
gal Combinations Will Be
Pushed Aggressively.

Z $ . =
n Washin gton. D. c.. May s1.-The
recent decisions of the Supreme Court
| In the Standard OH and American To-
bacco Company cases Will result in a
sweeping attempt to secure criminal
| conviction of vioiators of the antitrust
law, according to Attorney General
! Wickershan., who appeared to-day be-
fore. the House Committee on Expen-
| ditures In the Department of Justice.
/ Mr.. Wickersham was asked why the
| government thus far had failed to
| lodge any trust megnates' in prison.
| I'VE have done the best we could"
he said. but there has been I'M
Willingness on the part of juries and
! courts to sentence men to prison un-
| der the antitrust law. Until the Su-
(! preme Court laid down its definite
| construction in the two cases Just de-
] cided, this reluctance was well under
| stood, for. the law has always been
open to question, and has been con-
strued in different ways BY different
| courts. Juries are becoming more Will
Ing now. however. to convict, and
judges who have been reluctant to
impose prison penalties now have the
| Supreme Court decisions to sustain
4 them" sfj3.
Il Most Effective Means.
Mr.. Wickersham said he believed
prison ntences would be the most
effective means OF enforcing respect
for the antitrust law. Criminal pros
| ecutions pending against the meat
| packers, milk dealers. grocers. the
naval stores and window glass COM
| binations and other alleged yiolators
of th> antitrust law, he said, would
be augmented by other prosecutions
On this subject the government had
l definite plans. sssgt
i chairman of the Investigating com
mittee. asked why there had been no
criminal proceedings against the heads
of the Standard oil and Tobacco cor
porations.
I'm view of the fact that we have
secured decisions in these cases only
| within the last two weeks, 1t seems
to me that question answers itself"
| said Mr.. Wickersham. Now, however.
we have an Interpretation of the anti
ceed"
! The Attorney General was closely
| questioned by Mr.. Beall as to the cot
ton cases in New York, but he re-
| fused TO disclose the governments fu-
ture action. Asked why actions were
| brought against those seeking to ele-
4
than against the spinners and the
bears" who were trying to depress II.
| Mr. Wickersham said the government
| mad believed it much easier to reach
the seven men controlling the raw
cotton pool against whom It had ex-
| act informa ton.
The statute OF limitations has not
run against the others" he added.
II the government is sustained in this
nrst cotton case the other combina-
| lions may be attacked
| Has there ever been any investiga-
ton of the attempt of bears to de-
press cotton prices In New York or
New orleans?" Chairman Beall asked
no, have never had any facts
to show violation Of antitrust law in
such matters
Advised Steel Trust.
Mt. Wickcrsham stated that while
! member of the law firm OF Strong &
Cadwellader. before he Iecame At
torney-Genera1. h. had upon several
occasions advised the United States
Steel Corporation.
/ This statement was brought out In
the course of the inquiry of the com
mittee into the prosecution OF the
| sugar trust and the sales OF the frlars.
lands in the Philippines to the Ameri-
can Sugar Refining Company.
Mt. Wickersham told the committee
J that Henry w. TAFT, brother OF the
President. had at one time been the
f, counsel of the sugar trust, and that
ne himself had shared in the fee Mr..
| Taft had turned into the Arm. about
| S26. 900. II
John Henry Hammond became con-
nected with the firm of Strong &. Cad
wallader after Mr.. Wickersham left It
TO become Attorney General, and sub
SeGuently AR Hammond represented
the sugar trust In the purchase OF the
friar lands. When Mr.. Wiclersham ten
dered his opinion. which permitted the
sale of those lands to the trust. he
was not aware that Hammond repre-
sented Fiavemeyer. president OF the
American Sugar Refining Company.
| Chairman Beall questioned the Al.
torney- General as to the connection,
IL any. OF the firm with the trusts.
Did the firm ever have any con-
nection with the steel trust?, asked
! Chairman Beall
81 personally advised the United
states Steel Corporation In one or two
matters replied Mr. Wickersham.
Acted SeyernI Times
During what period 2" asked Chair
man Beall.
Between 1905 ana 1903. That vas
before ] became Attorney General n.
was upon several occasions, perbans
four or five. 20 2
The Attorney General. replying to n
question. said that the firm had renre !.
scented the New York Cotton Exchange,
and he was under the impression that
Henry ". TAFT still continues in the
capacity of counsel for the exchange.
Chairman Beall then entered upon a
line OF questioning to develop why the
Department OF Justice and the Treas
nry Department had accepted from the
sugar trust $2,00o,o0O as restitution
for the INTERPRETATIONS at New York,