Evening star., 1913-12-09

ton to Congress in the near future and
that undoubtedly viii embody some OF
the Attorney General 5 views.
Attorney General McReynolds made 1t
clear. however, that so long aS he was
head of the department he would oppose
court DEGREES in ANTITRUST SUITS Wnere
the combination was dissolved into parts
under the control of the same stock
holders.
Calls 1t Fundamental Defect
That plan, adopted in the Standard Oil
and tobacco cases. he calls a ''fundamen'
tai defect" and later adds, in the sam
connection, my fixed purpose is TO op
pose any plan of dissolution which would
leave the separate parts of the unawfu
combination under the control of th'
same set of men,"
The Attorney General offers novel
solution of the problem of superannuated
federal Judges Such judges under the
Constitution hold soffice during good be-
havior. although they may retire at the
age of seventy aften ten years OF service
Il suggest says the Attorney General,
IAN act prdvtding that when any judge
below the Supreme. Court fails to avail
himself of the sprivifege of retiring now
granted by faw the Pres dent be re-
quired, with the advice and consent OF
the Senate, tos appeEnt another judge
who shall preside over the affairs OF the
court and have precedence over the older
one. This will insure at all times the
presence of Il judge sufficiently active
TO discharge promptly and adequately
the duties of the court
Specified Terms for Clerks.
Mr.. McReynolds suggests that clerks
of United States courts should be ap-
pointed for specified terms and subject
to removal by the President for cause,
and asks that provision be made for
review by the Supreme Court of the now
final decisions of the Court of Customs
Appeals on application only by the gov
ernment He approves the bill introduced
by Representative Clayton, giving the
Supreme Court power to promulgate
rules for trials on the law side of federal
courts.
The Attorney General declares that the
efficiency of the Department of Just &C
would be greatly improved by certain
changes in organization, and he a4so
recommends that some increase in sal
aries be provided for.
Inadequate Compensation.
In this connection the report says:
1T Is growing increasingly d.fficult-in-
deed. IL is weli-nigh impossible-to OBJ
tain and retain the services of lawyers
of proper standing and experience to act
as assistants for the compensation now
provided. At present there is one ass St
ant to the Attorney General, at $1,000;
one assistant attorney general in charge
of customs matters at $500 and eight
assistant attorneys general, at 5000 each
OF the latter, one is assigned to the Post
Office Department and Is appointed
through the Postmaster General; another
Is assigned to the Interior Department
Il ha M
ney general now assigned to the post Of
flee and the Interior Department should
be changed to solicitor. The title of the
assistant to the Attorney General should
be changed To assistant attorney general
and the salaries of all assistant attor-
neys general should be raised to 5000.
These places are exceedingly importan-
from every standpoint and the salaries
suggested are moderate for the character
and the amount OF work to be perform.
ed"
Care of Office Records.
The report further calls attention TO
the departments need OF fireproof
building Most of the ui,dings now
used by the department, the report says.
lack freproofing. and are without vaults,
while the Office records are constantly ex-
posed to destruction by fire, and the gen.
erai housing conditions are bad that
high efficiency Is imposs Bile. The Attor-
ney General recommends that authority
be given at once to contract for the con-
Struction of a building on the site that
has al ready been acquired and accordins
10 plans provided for and approved June
.. 1910.
Coming TO a review OF the events with
which his department has been concerned
for the fiscal year. the Attorney General
shows that when he took office fiftytwo
cases were pending under the Sherman
law, and that since March eight cases
have been begun. Investigations of COM
plants that the law has been violated
pour into the department by the score
each month. and come from all parts of
the country.
Facts Lacking in Many Gases.
I'm many instances" the report reads.
''the investigation has fai ed TO disclose
facts which would justify the institu-
tion of formal proceedings but notice of
the activity of the government has i'm
PEELED officers of large industrial corpora
lions TO curtai dangerous tendencies.
The bureau of investigation has looked
into thousands of cases of all kinds
those concerning violations OF the Sher-
man law and the national banking act
averaging together more than fifty a
MONTH
Through the bureau of investigation and
corps of local white slave officers, the
department, the Attorney General SAYS.
has vigorously carried on the work of
prosecution Of offenders and has helped
suppress the traffic Out of the 475OOO
Allotted for the detection and prosecu-
ticn If crime, the sum OF $4,000 has
been set aside for that work, and the
Attorney General concludes. 1.-The depart
ment feels that very material progress
mas been made, particularly during the
past year. III suppressing the most vicious
features of this traffic.