New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-17
WICKERSHAM INSISTS
ON TRUST DISSOLUTION
Attorney General Says Tobacco
Plans Will Be Weighed Close
Iy Before Approval.
NO SANCTION OF QUIBBLE
Competition Must Be Restored,
He Says in Interview in Omaha
Urges More Damage Suits
by Injured Rivals.

Omaha. oct 16.-"The dissolution
plans announced by the Tobacco Trust
will he measured by the fact as 10
whether or not they will restore compe-
tition." said Attorney General Wicker
sham to-day. and If they do not do so,
they will not be approved by the govern
ment"
The Attorney General is in Omaha to
deliver an address 10 the American
Prison Congress. and freely discussed
the Tobacco Trusts plans Of dissolu-
ton
II any one Of the six plans submitted
bv the trust meets this requirement II
will he acceptable to the government
From maagre press reports | am unable
10 say whether all or any Of these plans
come within the requirements but there
must he no quibblng. Competition must
he restored Or the plans will not be
sanctioned
The Tobacco case is entirely different
from the Standard. In the latter cor
poration the different companies COM
posing tho trust We're simply poured out
Of basket. and then each company
handed over to its original owner But
with the Tobacco case the patient is laid
out on the operating table and the dis
secting knife is used 10 the limit. This
il the first time big trust has been
treated i'm that manner. and 1t is inter
esting. to say the least.
This trust investigation will continue
until the big concerns come 70 know right
from wrong and 70 recognize that they
must be honest and fair We cannot
hope to get after every single one. but
We must bring home 10 concerns .ha.
are organized contrary to law that hon
esty is the best policy and they must
know that they must abolish any other
system in their dealings with the pub
liC and with other concerns.
Il am surprised that the business men
Of this country have not taken more
advantage Of that section of the law
which permits the collection Of three
fold damages when they are injured by
a trust. That section is a powerful lever
and could be used In many cases. The
smaller business men Of the country who
cry that the big trusts are running them
can resort 70 this section OF the law, and
II they are injured unjustly they can
collect threefold damages.
These trust decisions are laying the
foundations of a new era in business.
In fact, retail business will be complete
ly revoutionized thereby. and methods
which have grown TO be looked on as
legitimate are being shown 10 be illegal.
by the bath tub decision whole
salcrs and manufacturers can no longer
control the price at which the retailers
sell their goods so long a the retailers
pay the price demanded of them. From
the electrical decision We know that
manufacturers can no longer make un-
fair demands Of retailers aid cannot use
patented article as a club 70 force tho
sale Of an unpatented one. And there
are other decisions which go 70 show
that the present methods OF retail bust
ness will be revolutionized.
But. returning 10 the tobacco case,
whatever plan is decided on must leave
competition unfettered That Is the sole
standard by which the government viii
measure the plans Of the tobacco con
Germ