Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-09
M'ReynoIds Cites DEGREES
in Standard Oil and
Tobacco Cases.
FUNDAMENTAL DEFECT
Attorney General Opposed to
Old Owners Controlling
Dissolved Trusts.

Washington, Dec. 9.-Attorney Cen
eral McReynolds in his first report as
head of the law department of the
government submitted TO congress to-
day, makes few recommendations for
legislation. The changes he urges
have more to do with the machinery
of courts than with the fabric of the
law.
On an antitrust legislative program
the attorney general was silent. He
asked congress for no amendment to
the Sherman act. the rod his depart
ment uses TO bring trusts to terms,
and he points out no fault in its
operation.
President Wilson, however, intends
TO send a special message on the trust
question to congress in the near
future, and that undoubtedly will en-
body some of the attorney generals
views.
Attorney General McReynolds made
it clear, however, that so long as he
was head of the department he would
oppose court DEGREES in antitrust
suits where the combination was dis
solved into parts under the control OF
the same stockholders. That plan,
adopted in the Standard Oil and To
bacco cases, he calls a fundamental
defect" and later adds in the same
connection my fixed purpose is to
oppose any plan of dissolution which
would leave the separate parts of the
unlawful combination under the con
troll of the same set of men,"
The attorney general offers a novel
solution of the problem of superan-
nuated federal judges. Such judges
under the constitution hold Office dur
ing good behavior, although they may
retire at the age of 20 after 10 years
service.
For Active Judges.
81 suggest" says the attorney gen
eral, IAN act providing that when any
judge below the supreme court fails
to avail himself of the privilege of
retiring now granted by law, that the
president be required, with the ad-
vice and consent of the senate, to ap-
point another judge, who shall pre-
side over the affairs of the court and
have precedence over the older one
This will insure at all times the pres
ence of a judge sufficiently active to
discharge promptly and adequately
the duties of the court
Mr.. McReynolds suggests that
clerks of United States courts should
be appointed for specified terms and
subject to removal by the president
for cause and asks that provision be
made for a review by the supreme
court of the now final decisions of the !
court of customs appeal, on applica- |
tion only by the government. He ap- |
proves the bill introduced by Repre- !
sentative Clayton giving the supreme 1
court power to promulgate rules for /
trials on the law side of federal !
courts. He reminds congress also of /
needs of changes in his Office and an /
increase in the salaries paid He /
terms the present salaries moderate |
for the character and amount of work
TO be performed"
Coming to a review of the events |
with which his department has been
for the fiscal year, the at
torney general shows that when he
took Office 50 cases were pending un-
der the Sherman law, and that since
March eight cases have been be-
gun. Investigations of complaints
lldl lAlc law ildo De6u NIOldIGQ pour
into the department by the score each
and come from all parts f
The country.
White Slave Prosecutions.
'In many instances" the report
reads, the investigation has failed
% disclose facts which would justify
he institution of formal proceedings
1ut notice of the activity of the gov
.rnment has impeiIed officers of large
md industrial corporations TO curtail
dangerous tendencies. The bureau of
has looked into thou
ands of cases Of all kinds. those con
.erning violations of the Sherman
aw and the national banking act
.yeraging together more than so
month.
Through the bureau of inyestiga-
ions and a corps of local white slave
the department, the attorney
eneral says, has vigorously carried
n the work of prosecution OF offend :
rs and has helped suppress the traf-
C. Out of the $4,000 allotted for
be detection and prosecution OF L
rime SI75, 900 has been set aside for I
hat work and the attorney general '
oncludes the apartment feels that y
cry material progress has been q
lade. particularly during the past Y
ear. In suppressing the most vicious Il
s1trres OF this traffic" a