The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-12-31
after BONA FIDE REFORM.
McREYNOLDS TELLS TRUST IN.
QUIRERS WHAT Is NECES.
SARY.
Department Says Telephone Company
Has Promised to Do More Than
Asked-Self-Made Plan i'm Favor.

Washington, Dec. 24.-When Attor-
ney General McReynolds agreed with
the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company for a reorganization
Of that concern under the anti@trust
contract he gave specific demands to
alleged trust-makers all over the coun-
try and has brought upon the depart
ment Of justice scores Of inquiries
from persons more or less interested
in trust suits about the possibility OF
other agreements of like tenor.
Since the announcement that the
self-made plans for a Reorganization
OF the so-called telephone trust would
be accepted there has been one caller
at the department bent upon speak
ing in the ca use Of prosecuted COM
hine. And IL the five days that have
intervened since that announcement
was made the telephone Of the Attor-
ney Generals private secretary has
tangled to the tune Of a hundred calls
and there have been scores of letters
and many telegrams seeking to learn
what may be expected in the suit Of
the government against John and
William Doe, a trust.
Mr.. McReynolds has made it plain
he is not willing to accept offers which
Cont mean a reform in accord with
the departments own ideas. Speak
ing of the agreement with the tele.
phone officials he pointed out that
their plan had gone further even than
the department could hope a court to
go il suit were instituted. He referred
to the evident restoration Of competi-
ton in the telephone field.
There are in process Of adjudica-
ton in the courts less than a. dozen
antitrust cases that are regarded as
Of supreme Importance either as to
their bearing on points in the anti
trust law yet to be ruled upon or as
to their effect upon big combinations.
In this list are the action against the
United States Steel Corporation. the
International Harvester Company. the
United Shoe Machinery Company, the
Motion Picture Patents Company. the
Eastmann Kodak Company and the
Reading Railroad Company. Suits
have been begun against the Ameri-
can Can Company and an alleged
combination of wholesale and manu-.
featuring jewellers. and there are
many others in process Of trial or un-
der consideration not Of prime i'm
rortance.
OF the suits enumerated no authen.
tic advances have come to the de-
partment from the Steel Corporation.
the Harvester Company, the Kodak
Company. the Reading Company or
the Can Company. SO far as the gov
ernment's lawyers know. these con-
Germs expect to fight to the end. Ne
got!ations with the United Shoe Ma
chinery Company have been In prog
ress for long time, but they have
not been successful.
Representatives Of the Motion Pic
ture Company and Of the jewellers
have been in conference several times
in the last few weeks with Mr.. Nc
Reynolds and G. c. Todd, assistant at.
In oh % ~
prosecutions. 1t is possible that these
two suits will be settled without long
litigation. In every case Mr.. Todd
has made 1t clear thot to meet tho
departments approval reorganization
plans must conform to the complaint
made by the government. II this Is
done there is no objection to setting
: case without litigation.