The daily sentinel., 1912-12-05
W|CKERSHAM
V|NO|CATES
SHERMAN
LAW
Associated Press.

Associated Press.
Washington, Dee. 5.-The Sher-
man antitrust law is proving its ad-
equacy as civil statute and there
Is no necessity for the much dis
Cussed amendment particularZirg
unlawful practices in restraint OF
trade. according to George w. Wick
ersham, attorney general of the
United States. in his annual report
submitted to congress today.
On the other hand, however, TIE
attorney general does not pass iudl-
ment upon the efficacy of the anti
trust law as a criminal statute Ue
merely says:
The experience of the last yeaer
in endeavoring to enforce criminal
liability under the Sherman law has
not been encouraging.
The attorney general defends the
commerce court, the abolition of
which was attempted at the last sos-
sion of congress. A return to the
old method of distributing litigation
arising from the orders of the inter-
state commerce commission to the
district courts would be injurious to
the interests of the public and delay
the administration of Justice, says
Mr. Wickersham.
Drawing conclusions from the de-
crees of dissolution and injunction
which already have been entered un-
der the Sherman law, Mr. Wicker
sham mailtains that the federal
courts are exercising in equity suits
n power TO restrain which is co-eN-
tonsive With the evils against which
the Sherman law was enacted. The
tourts nave found no difficulty, he
adds, in applying the terms of the
law 10 meet and enjoin the continu-
ance(of any form of unfair competi-
ton which has resulted In imposing
! an undue restraint upon interstate
commerce or which makes for mon
opoly
/, The attorney general takes issue
with the decision of the Judges Colt.
Putnam and Brown at Boston. au-
thorizing the hearing in private be-
J fore an examiner of the civil anti
trust suit against the United Shoe
Machinery Company, and asks Tor
+, legislation admitting the public ami
representatives of the press to such
hearings.
The suit against the coffee trust
or the Brazilian valorization scheme,
the operations OF which. the attorney
b, general says, has resulted in more
' t-an doubnng the retail price Of cof
fee TO the American consumer ana
iitltng itiN liss al EtdA ltiN upon lllils
1 has developed what the attorney gen.
eral regards as defect in the stiu
operative section OF the Wilson tariff
\ law dealing with combinations.
:" The voluntary dissolution of the
National Packing Company following
the acquittal lat Chicago of the beet
packers OF criminal violation Of the
Sherman law, has accomplished, in
the belief of the attorney general,
| "a substantial restoration of COM
petitiye conditions in very large
industry which have not for a long
time heretofore existed"
The attorney general announces
his intention OF soon filing suits in
equity against the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company and others for the
recovery OF vast areas of petroleum.
bearing lands in California, said to
be worth more than $500 900, ,00D
The legislation under which the pat
Z ents were granted to the railroad
company, he says, excepted mineral
Aands other than iron or coal lands.
Rrhe railroad company contends, ac-
Cording to the attorney general, that
the exceptions in the patents are
2-yOd.
u The department of justice, includ-
ing the offices of the attorney gen
eral and all the United States attor-
neys, has been on a paying basis dur
ing President Tafts term of office,
according TO figures submitted in the
report, surplus of nearly S2,50G,-
600 over expenses having been
turned into the federal treasury. For
the four years ended June 80 last,
the department collected S11 ,212,959
through suits and compromises, and
expended sS,756,565. The collec-
tions for the preceding four years
amounted TO S3,597.442, and eXpens-
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