Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-11-21
POMERENEATTACKS
Acknowledgement
SCORES WIckERsHAM FoR EN-,
TIRE FAILURE TO ENFORCE
CRIMINAL PROVISION.
OF SHERMAN ANTITRUST LAW
ohloan Defends Harmonic Activities
Cummins Doubts II Competition
10 Possible Under Present
Statute.

JACK upon the uecree OF the clrculy
court of New York In the dissolution
Of the American Tobacco company and
specific comparison Of the activities
Of Attorney General Wickersham and
former Attorney General Judson Har.
mon in enforcing the Sherman anti
trust law against great combinations,
enlivened tho hearing of the senats
committee which is investigating the
trust problem with view to new legis
lation.
Senator Pomerens Of Ohio directed
several pointed questions to H. B.
Martin, secretary Of the Antitrust
league, a witness before the commit
tee
There appears to be little effort in
the deperamtne Of Justice to enforce
the criminal provisions Of the law"
Senator Pomerene said. DO you
know of any statute or other author
lty which justifies an attorney general
in taking the position that he may On.
force the statute in the civil courts.
but decline to enforce its criminal pro-
visions? regard the course of the
department in it, failure to enforce
these provisions a. most reprehens
ible,"
Senator Oliver was the only member
Of the committee who replied to the
attacks on the attorney genral. Also
addressing the witness, he wanted to
know what the latter thought Of the
Comparative reprehensibility" Of an
attorney general who actively and
successfully enforces law like this.
who resurrects it and makes 1t e6ec.
tive and proceeds at least toward sue
cessful civic prosecutions, az compared
with one of his predecessors who did
not and who practically declared the
law . dead letter"
II refer to former Attorney General
Judson Harmon Of Ohio" Senator
oliver said, looking across the table
to Senator Pomerene.
oIney Who Said II.
The committee showed signs Of an
recipient outbreak. Senator Pomerens
said it was not Mr.. Harmon, but his
predecessor, Richard Olney, who had
said in substance that the law was .
dead letter.
Mr.. Harmon, he said, took up and
pushed to a decision In the supreme
court the trans Missouri rate case and
made every effort to revivify the Sher
man law. Other members of the com.
mittee refrained from taking part In
the discussion.
The dissolution decree in the Amert
can Tobacco company case, dividing
the trust into four separate organiza
lions was characterized at several
times during tho hearings as a con.
struction Of the Sherman law that
failed to restore competition or meet
the spirit Of desired trust control
Senator Cummins said he did not be
lieve there could be actual compett
ton enforced under the present sher
man law.
"There are clearly two movements
under way for changes in the Sher
man law" Senator Cummins. said
'the first for . mitigation Of the pro
visions of the law; the other towards
amendments and supplementary acts
that will make 1t . more efhcient in,
strument for the preservation Of com
petition"
He expressed his sympathy with the
latter. adding that tho two plans
have little in common"
The effect Of law prohibiting d.
rectors of steel and coal companiel
from sitting in the directorates 81
railroads was briefly discussed during
the hearing. Senator Townsend Of
Michigan said he favored such an act,
but he believed the one offered the
committee would permit of the same
end being accomplished through dunn.
my directors.
Samuel Untermeyer of New York
whose plan for trust legislation was
outlined in a report to the National
Civic Federation last week. will bs
heard by the committee. His plan
includes the appointment Of com,
mission similar to the interstate com.
merce commission to deal with indus
trial corporations with a capital Of
more than 100000 doing business
in more than one state, the corpora
lions to be licensed by the federal
government. |
Four In Sleigh Are Frozen.
Kamloops, B. c., Nov. 1S.-Foul
persons we're frozen to death in . !
blizzard near this city.