The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-12-09
M'REYNOLDS TO
OPPOSE CERTAIN
COURT DEGREES
Is Against Dissolution of Trusts
Into Parts Controlled by the
Same Stockholders
ASKS NO CHANGE IN LAW
Attorney General Leaves II to
Wilson to Suggest Supplement.
tary Legislation
SUBMITS REPORT TO CONGRESS

| Washington. Dee. 9.-Atturney Gen
eral McReynolds in his first report as
head Of the law department Of tho
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
mcnt uses To bring trusts to terms
and he points out no fault in Is
operation.
President Wilson, however, intends
TO send a special message on the trust
question to Congress i'm the near fu-
ture, and that undoubtedly will en-
body some Of the attorney generals
views.
Attorney General McReynolds made
/ IL clear, however, that so long as he
was head of the department he would
oppose court dccrces in antitrust
suits where the combination was dis
| solved into four parts under the con-
troll % the same stockholders. That
plan, adopted i'm the Standard Oil and
tobacco cases, he calls "a fundamental
defect and later adds in the same
connection my fixed purpose is to OPP
pose any plan of dissolution which
would leave the separate parts Of the
unlawful combination under the con-
| trol of the same set of men,"
Superannuated Judges.
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 seventy after ten
years service.
Il suggest" says the attorney gcnr-
cral, "an act providing that when any
Judge below the Supreme Court fails
retiring now granted 10y law, that the
president be required. with the advice
and consent of the Senate, TO appoint
another judge, who shall preside over
the affairs of the court and have pre-
ccdencc over the older one. This will
insure at all times the presence of n
Judge sufficiently active to discharge
promptly and adequately the duties of
the court"
Mr.. Mclteyuolds suggests that clerks
of L. :. courts should be appointed
for specified terms and subject to re-
moval by the president for cause and
asks that provision he made Tor u re-
view by the supreme court of the new
final decisions of the court Of customs
appeal. on application only by the
government. He approves the bill in
troduced by Representative Clayton
giving the Supreme Court power TO
promu!gatc rules for trials on the law
side of federal courts He reminds
Congress also of needs of changes in
his office ana an Increase I'm the sal
aries paid lie terms the present sal
aries moderate for the character and
amount of work to be performed"
Many Cases Investigated.
Coming to "A review of the events
with which his department has been
concerned for the fiscal year, the at.
torney general shows that when he
took office 50 cases we're pending un-
al hs lnt MI "a Sin
March 4 eight cases have been begun.
Investigations of complaints that the
law has been violated pour into the
department by the score each month
and come from all parts Of the country
In many instances" the report
reads. the investigation has failed to
disclose facts which would justify the
institution of formal proceedings but
notice of the activity Of the govern
meut has impeled officers of large
and industrial corporations to curtail
dangerous tendencies. The bureau of
Investigation has looked into thous-
ands of cases of all kinds. those con-
corning violations of the Sherman
law and the national banking act av-
eraging together more than fifty "a
month.
Through the bureau OF investiga-
tlons and "a 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 $4,000 allotted Tor the de-
lection and prosecution of crime,
$4,000 has been set aside for that
work and the attorney general con-