Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-03-25

l dreds of thousands of dollars will be l saved not only to stockholders of the American Telegraph and Telephone Company and the New York New Hav- en and Hartford railway, but to the United States government.
 During the Roosevelt and Taft ad- ministration the Standard Oil Com pany was sued as monopoly in re- straint of trade. The case was car ried up to the Supreme Court of the United States. Six years were con sumed in the prosecution of the case and thousands of dollars were spent in the taking of testimony, and in salaries for attorneys on both sides of the controversy. The record in the case makes twenty-nine great volumes. The same was true of the International Harvester Trust case and the American Tobacco Com pany's case. Under the present ad- ministration, however, matters like these are being settled by group of attorneys and representatives of the corporations involved. The expense in comparison to the cost of the suits mentioned is insignificant.
 The same spirit of cooperation characterizes the work of the Inter- state Commerc Commission, the powers of. which recently were en larged by Congress. Nearly every railroad company and steamship line in the United States is brought be- fore the commission during the course of q year. The work of hearing com plaints and making investigations has outgrown the ability of the con- missioners to handle all themselves and 75 exak.lners have been employ ed to attend to the mass of details that are considered. In addition to the examiners, field force is main- tained by the commission to investi- gate matters at first hand.
 Recently the commission found it necessary to create legal depart ment and hundreds of attorneys will be employed to represent the com- mission in various part of the United bSates. This step was necessary by reason of the abolition of the United States Commerce Court, where the work of appealing cases from the de- cision of the commission here in Washington was centralized. Now, howeyea, it will be necessary for the commission to defend it's decisions in the several district courts and courts of appeal in various parts of the country.
 Yet, the main purpose of the com mission is to settle matters between the railroads and the shippers through what might be termed med iaton, by holding hearings in their chambers in this city. It is diffl- cult matter, however, for them to do so owing to the policy of railroads to contest cases of this character in the courts. The procedure before the commission while legal in form, is not hampered by the red tape ot the court.
 Any citizen can appear before the Commission and in many cases. this not necessary. If a complaint be filed alleging an unlawful practice on the part of railroad company the Commission of it's own initiative will make an investigation.
 In the Agriculture Department headed by Secretary Houston, this spirit of "co-operation' does not pre- vail to a high degree. The depart ment is empowered to prosecute those who are evading or violating the pure food law. Arbitration ot these matters is considered only when the defendants show willingness rt
 aid the department in sup2ressins the adulteration of food.