Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-19
Attorney General Hasn't Dissolved
Single Trust, but Has Helped
Ten in Last Seven Months,
Worse Than BaIIinger in Delay,
Stiles Greatest Victory Ever Won
for People Before U. S. ST.
preme Court by Action in the
Union Pacific Dissolution Case.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1s-An rec
ords for first aid to trusts" have been
broken by the Department of Justice
under the administration of Attorney
General McReynolds.
During the seven months he has
naa0 in charge of the Governments
.muaign for fighting monopolies the
Attorney Generals notable accom-
pits ments-eXclusive Of the number
If small proceedings misunderstood
SIS follows:
Number of trusts dissolved-NoNE,
Number of trusts or other influen-
tel defendants which have received
first aid"-TEN.
The only other Cabinet officer in
the history OF the United States who
approached the present Attorney Gen
era, in this respect was former Sec
Rotary of the Interior Ballinger, and
the record indicates that he was not
even close second.
Here is the record;
/. UNION PACIFIC. SouTHERN
PACIFIC RAILROAD cAsE-The
United States brought suit to
compe. the Union Pacific Rail
road Company TO dispose of $12G,-
$4,000 Of the stock of the South
srH Pacific, under the Sherman anti
ssss=t act. Attorney General Wicker
rham won the case. The Supreme
Court ordered the Union Pacific to
proceed to divest itself Of the stock.
The lawyers for the Union Pacific
Dire" up plan and submitted It 70
the new Attorney General OF the
United States, Mr.. McReynolds. He
accepted the plan, although, contrary
90 the expressed wishes of President
Wilson, he Withdrew his request for a
public hearing.
on top of this Attorney General
MaReynolds forfeited the right to ap-
peal the case by consenting to the
entry OF a decree by the Circuit
Court and it can not be reopened ex-
ept by special action on the part of
Congress.
Thus he effectually stifIed what is
considered the greatest victory ever
won in the Supreme Court by the
people. The man who represented the
Attorney General in the latter part Of
this remarkable proceeding. e. Car
!o.. Todd, has been promoted by his
chief to the position OF First Assist
ant Attorney General, in full charge
Of the trust busting" work of the
Department.
2. THE ANTHRACITE COAL
CASE-McReynolds began this dur
ing the time Wickersham was Attor-
ney General. The latter assigned him
TO the case,
The first proceedings were taken
under the Hepburn rate law, and, in
effect, McReynolds lost the suit. Then,
with the same E. Carroll Todd ne
filed a bill under the Sherman anti
trust law, charging conspiracy. After
long struggle McReynolds won a
decision from the Supreme Court.
Part of the responsibility for the
Doubtful victory was laid to failure
on the part of McReynoIds to draw
ms bill properly. Now, in 1918, al
though the proceedings were begun
originally in 1907, the Attorney Gen
era has just filed a bill against the
I'VE coal companies concerned, whicn
complies in form and manner Of
pleading with the rules established
toF such cases by the Supreme Court
IN 1898. In other words, he has just
now made u fair beginning in the
case, And the retail price Of coal has
steadily gone up.
3. THE INTERNATIONAL HAIR
FSSTER TRUST cASE-This case
vas nearly settled by Attorney GEN
eTsl Wickersham. A compromise was
proposed, Wickersham thereupon
M dc out a list of conditions for the
harvester Trust to subscribe to, but
.Ney We're so binding and so favora BILE
lo me Government that the trust de-
Daed It could better afford to fight
.Afough the courts.
ms suit, which was begun nearly
Continued on Page 2, Column 6.