Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-10-29
John G. Johnson Sums Up for
Big Corporation, DeCIafiogI
Government Has Failed toI
Make Case,
GREAT COMMERCIAL
WAR SOON TO OCCUR
Department Of Justice Repre-
sentative Says Complete
Case Has Been Made, Show
ing Restraint of Trade,


Philadelphia. oct. 2S.-The defense
today closed its side of the case in the
federal suit to dismember the United
states steel corporation on the ground
It is a trust and the government be-
gan its final attack against the biz
organization. John G. johnson OF
Philadelphia summed up for the de-
fense in a two-hour speech that held
the close attention of the crowded
court room and Jacob NJ. Dickinson
chief counsel for the government, he
gan his argument in rebuttal. lie
hopes to conclude by tomorrow even
ing.
Imperfect Statements.
Mr.. johnson opened with the gen.
eral statement that the weight of the
evidence in the suit was all against
the government; that the things com
planned of rested upon imperfect
statements and that when the govern
ment saw that its allegations had not
been substantiated by the evidence II
should have withdrawn the action. ~
one had been harmed by the organ
zation Of the steel corporation. ne
said. so far as the record showed, nor
had any one. consumer or competitor,
been unfairly dealt with by the parent
company or any Of its subsidiaries. In
his peroration Mr.. johnson said the
court is asked to cut up the great or
ganzation into miserable frag-
ments." He predicted another war
after the present European conflict
is over. a war in which Germany VII
battle for the commerce of the world
and in which war the steel companies
in the United States will be as pig
mics if the United States steel cor
poration is disintegrated by the
courts.
Diclinson's Reply.
Mr. Dickinson before proceeding TO
the issues in the case, said there never
was a great corporation brought into
court for some violation of the law
that did not hide its head IN the
claim that to strike ii down would be
detrimental to the best interests OF
the public He disagreed with MI
Johnson that the government had not
substantiated its case and proceeded
to point out what he declared to be
conclusive proofs of instances of the
violation of the antitrust law With
infinite detail he produced testimony
of witnesses in the case tending J"
show that by the merging of compet-
itlve companies the steel corporation
had unduly restrained trade and com,
petition. In reply to a question OF
the court, Mr. Dickinson said that II
the steel corporation had done MOTH
ing unlawful after the organization
the government would have still
prayed for the dissolution of the cor
poration on the ground that its for
nation was illegal
Taking up the charge that the steel
corporation sold products cheaper IN
foreign markets than in the domestic
trade, Mr.. Dickinson said the Ameri-
can consumer should have been given
the advantage of the lower prices.
Failure of the corporation to do so,
he continued, was evidence that il
conspred to maintain excessive prices.
He said that the government would
later show that the steel corporation
had much more than SOL per cent
of the iron and steel business of the
country and that the remaining 1919
per cent not embraced in the steel
corporation, was not as formidable as
counsel for the defendant would have
the court believe.