The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-01
No Violations of Anti
trust Law Have Been
Committed.
TOO LATE, ANYWAY,
TO BRING ACTION
Corporation, It's Subsidiaries and
Directors Make Answer to Dis
solution Suit-contend That
for Years Government Has
Acquiesced in Existence
of Trust.

| Trenton. y. ] January 31.-Abso-
lutte dcnte! OF alleged violations of the
antitrust law is made by the United
states Steel Corporation, its suosld-
iaries and directors. in their answers
which will he filed Tomorrow morn
ling in the United states District Court
mere to the governments dissolution
suit. Five separate answers will be
hled among thirty-threc defendants
The effect OF Its organization. the
cooperation declares, has been 10
cheaper production. effect economies
and Increase foreign trade from sS-
100000 to ss0,000.0O0 annually within
ten years So long has the govern
ment asquiesced in Its existence. the
answer says, that 1t Is now too late.
as . matter OF equity. to insist that
its organization was Illegal.
Nothing was withheld from Presi-
dent Roosevelt by Messrs. Gary and
! frick on November 4, 1907, the answer
says. when they sought his consent
to the corporations proposed purchas sc
OF the Tenn assoc Coal and Iron Com
pany, nor were the so-called Gary din
ners productive of agreements to regu-
late prices.
The answers made public tonight
are those of the Steel Corporation, An
| drew Carnegie. John d. Rockefeller,
Sr.. John .. Rockefeller Jr., and Ed
mund G. Converse. The Rockefeliers
make joint answer.
Deny Active Part.
The Messrs. Rockefeller deny that
they had an active part In the forma-
ton or management OF the corpora
tion. the elder Rockefeller declaring
that he has had no imm ediate relation
to the iron or steel business since
1901
Mr.. Carnegie says he had no part in
the plans for organizing the corpora
/ ton aG no. voice. dirS1t ,sor adyss-
selling the Carnegie steel Company TO
the United states steel Corpora ton.
but denies that the acquisition by the
Carnegie Company of Its subsidiaries
was IN restraint o, trade.
The answer of Edmund c. Converse,
a director Of the United States Steel
Corporation, Is similar to the corpora-
| TONS answer.
Each OF tho defendants prays that
the suit be dismissed
| The answers TO be filed tomorrow
| with those filed Monday by the Min
nesota group OF land and mining COM
panies and five individuals named as
trustees Will complete the answers
from all flfty-six defendants named in
the suit. TIL. next step will be the
filing OF replications by tho govern
ment, which must be done within
thirty days. unless an extension OF
time Is granted After that COM
| missioner will be appointed TO take
| testimony EIN
The answer of the Steel Corporation
is made in the name OF the United
States Steel Corporation and its W.
rious subsidiary companies and Il is
Joined in by the following individuals:
j. Pierpont Morgan, Ebert Fl. Garv.
CHARLES VI. Schwab, Charles Steele.
Henry c. Frlck. James Gayley. VIII
nam II. Moore, James II. Moore. Per-
cival Roberts. Ir., Daniel G. Reid. Nor
man B. Ream, George w. Perkins and
Peter a. b. Widener. The arrav of
counsel includes Lindabury. Depue &.
| Faulks as solicitors. and Josaph TT
Choate, John C. Johnson, Francis
Lynde Stetscn. David A. Reed. Raynal
:. Goiiing and Richard V. Lindab,iry
as counsel -
Tells of It's Founding.
inc answer begins with reviewing
the events that led up to the orron,za,
| ton OF the present Steel Corporation.
and describes how the Federal Steel
company acquired the Carnegie steel
company. the American Steel and Wire
Company and others through nerotln-
lions conducted by j. =. Morgan &.
Co Later. when the need for addi-
tional ore supplies was felt. the Steel
/
of tho Lake Superior Consolidated
Iron Mines. The Steel Corporation
was formed and It's properties ac-
CURED, the answer declares, for the
purpose of effectIng economies by in
itegrating the plants and the processes
employed in the manufacture of steel,
and to reach the principal markets of
the United States and Of foreign
/ countries and increase the trade In
steel products therein.
III any of the companies. acquired
by the Steel Corporation" the answer
declares, had been organized for the
purpose or with the effect of restrain
ing trade or commerce, or IL they con-
stituted an attempt at monopoly or a
monopolization of trade or commerce.
/ neither the organizers of the Steel
Corporation nor the said corporation
had any knowledge or information
thereof when the said companies were
acquired"
Continuing, the answer recites that
the Steel Corporation made its pur-
poses and the details of Its organiza-
tion public In a variety Of ways. and
says that the attention OF the officers
of the United States government was
particularly directed to the organiza-
ltion at the time 1t was effected. Only
within few months has any depart
ment or RESPONSIBLE officer Of the gov
eminent criticized the Steel Corpora
tion as being a combination II re-
straint of trade. or mononnly
1 The answer then sets forth that the
/ Steel Corporation has cheapened tbs
i production OF steel to the consumer
that 1t has increased Its foreign trade
from s8,000,006 in 1901 to 100000 900 In
1911; that 1t has not suppressed COM
petition: that the number Of its compet-
itors In the United States has largely
increased since 1901, and that Its stock
has boon soid several times over and /.