The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-10
To the Commodities Clause OIL
the Interstate Commerce
Act of Congress.
ASKS THE c olN|G RE R SIS
To Assist in Breaking Up the
Hard Coal Combination
with Amendments.

Will amendments.
INV AssoeiArsp phess,
WARRINGTON, .. c.. Dec. 1Oe-
Attorney General Gregory made his
first report 10 Congress today as
mead of the Department Of Justice.
He! recommended several amend
ments to existing laws and gave a
compreh ensiye review Of the work Of
the department for the fiscal year.
His principal recommendation was
for an amendment to the commodi-
ties clause sof the Interstate Com
merce act designed; to block the way
Of any carrier which seeks to trans
port products over its lines In which
Y mas any interest whatsoever.
Sell Coal Mt Mines.
IN asking for such Legislation the
attorney general referred to the diftiS
Guilty the department has encounter
ed in attempting to break up what is
known ah the hard coal combina-
ton" controlling aalarge part of the
anthracite fields in eastern Pennsyl-
yania. He told Congress that rail,
roads in that field have met recent
supreme court DECISIONS, interpret
ing the commodities clause, BY the
organization of corporations whose
stock is distributed ratably among
stockholders of the railroad, with
its management dominated by the
railroad. To such a corporation. he
says, the; railroad in question sells
coal at the mines under contract
which puts the new corporation
largely IL. not completely. within
the power of the railroad." This
plan has been challenged by the gov
Eernment. y :
recommend. wrote Mr.. Greg
DRY, IAN amendment which will pro-
fhibit a railroad from Transporting n
interstate u commerce articles which
g manufactured or produced. or
whicn were manufactured or pro-
dueed by any corporation controlled
~ It or affiliated with 1t by having
the same controlling stockholders, IT.
respective Of whether such railroad
or such controlled AFFILIATED corpora
ton has an interest in the article at
the time Of transportation. Il Is
also necessary II transportation and
producing are to be completely d.
yorced. that Congress prohibit any
railroad owned or. controlled by a
producing or trading Corporation
and not operated merely as plant
facility, from transporting In inter
state commerce articles produced BY
such Corporation. y ~
Other Recommendations.
Other recommendations include:
An amendment making 1t federal
crime. to kill an officer Of the
United States engaged In serving or
executing process, and authority for
the use Of search warrants in adyer-
Using fraud cases which rely on the
mails to attract victims.
Documentary evidence" SAYS the
report, "ony procurable by search ID
almost Indispensable to convict these
swindlers and protect the victims. !.
AS the law now stands, Mr.. Gregor
points out. no authority exists to re-
recover property used for criminal
purposes save on specific conditions
under customs, revenue, Indian
Aquor, fishery, interstate commerce
transportation and obscene litera-
ture cases.
Attorney General Gregory recon-
mends that the power Of federal
grand jurles be enlarged so that they
can investigate crimes committed in
any division of federal district.
He suggests also that an amendment
! to existing law is needed whereby
a federal judge in whose court an
indictment is returned, may consider
testimony before the grand jury and
enter an order making the warrant
run to all parts Of the federal terri
tory.
Under lthe prevailing practice. p
sayS the report, offenders against
uniform laws while living within the
borders of the United States FREE
quently gain practical immunity from
punishment. The federal laws APP
ply to every part Of the United
States and the procedure to secure
the punishment of an offense and the
presence of the offender before the
court should be as far-reaching al
the law declaring the offense. lit is
oftentimes more difficult and expen-
siye to compel an accused person who
lives in state other than the one
where the otfense is committed to
respond to an accusation than it Is
to secure extradition from foreign
country
Minor Amendments.
Amendments fafminori nature
are suggested also to the food and
drugs act. the insectitude act. the
!, twenty-eight hour law and the bank
ruptcy law. Mr.. Gregor renewed
the recommendation Of the former
attorney general that when a federal
judge OF any court below the SUI
preme court reaches the age OF sew
enty and after ten years service, ree
fuses to retire, the president is au-
thorized to appoint another Judge to
preside over the affairs Of that court
and have precedence over the older
judge.
The attorney general Dhcites at
length the enforcement OF the Sher-
man antitrust act during the last
fiscal year. Speaking OF the negoti-
atoms With the New York, New Ha-
ven and Hartford Railroad Com
lpany. he Informed Congress that the
department while intent upon en-
forcing the law realized that It must
proceed 50 as 20 cause the least ein-