The chronicle=news. (Trinidad, Colo.) 1898-current, 1914-12-10

ANNUAL REPORT
ATTY. GENERAL
REVIEWS WORK

mended several amendments to cx-
listing laws and gave q comprehen-
sivs review of the work of the de-
partment for the fiscal year. His
principal recommendation was for
an amendment to tire commodities
clause Of tho interstate commerce
act designed to block the way Of any
carrier which seeks to transport
products over its lines In which 1t
has any interest whatsoever.
In asking for such legislation the
attorney general referred to the DIFF
ficulty the department has encoun-
tered In attempting to break up
what is known n the "hard coal
controlling large
part Of the anthracite fields In cast
crn Pennsylvania. He told congress
that railroads In that field have met
recent supreme court decisions. in
terpreting 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 q corporation.
he says, the railroad in question sells
coal at the mines under a contract
which puts the new corporation
largely, II not completely. within
the power of the railroad" This
plan has been challenged by the gov
eminent.
Il recommend w'To.c Mr.. Greg
DRY. IAN amendment which will pro-
hibit u railroad from transporting in
interstate commerce articles which
It manufactured or produced. or
which were manufactured or pro-
duced by any corporation controlled
by 1t or affiliated with 1t by having
the same controlling stockholders,
irrespective of whether such rail-
raoad or such controlled affiliated
corporation has an interest in the ar
ticles at the time Of transportation.
II is also necessary II transportation
and production are to be completely
divorced. that congress prohibit any
railroad owned or controlled by u
producing or trading corporation
and not operated merely as a plant
facility. from transporting In inter-
state commerce articles produced or
owned by such corporation
Other recommendations include:
An amendment making it a federal
crime" to kill an officer Of the Unit
cd States engaged In serving or exc
cutting process. and authority for the
use of search warrants In advertis-
ing fraud cases which rely on the
mails to attract victims.
Documentary evidence" says the
report. only procurable by search.
is almost indispensable to convict
these swindlers and protect their
victims"
AZ the law now stands, Mr.. Greg
to recover property used for criminal
purposes, save on specific conditions
under customs. revenue, Indian H.
quor. fishery. interstate commerce
transportation and obscene litera-
ture cases.
Attorney General Gregory recon-
mends that the power of federal
grand juries be enlarged SO that they
can Investigate crimes committed In
any division of federal district.
He suggests also that an amend
ment 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 fed.
eral territory.
Under the prevailing practice
says the report, offenders against
uniform laws while living within the
borders of the United States fire.
quently gcin practical immunity
from punishment. The federal laws
apply 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-reachipg
as the law declaring the offense. II
is oftentimes more difficult and ex-
pensive to compel an accused person
who lives in a state other than the
ones where the offense is commit
ted to respond TO an accusation than
1t is to secure extradition from a
foreign country"
Amendments of a minor nature
are suggested also to the food and
drugs act, the insecticide act, the
2s-hour law and the bankruptcy
law. Mr.. Gregory renewed the rec
ommcndation Of the former attorney
general that when federal judge
of any court below the supreme
court reaches the age of 20 and after
10 years service, refused to retire.
the president be authorized to ap-
point another judge to preside over
the affairs of that court and nave
precedence over the older Judge
The attorney general recites at
length the enforcement Of the SIer-
man antitrust act during the last