Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-10

partment, which now occupies seven
buildings originally constructed for
| residential purposes, with an overflow
in. a modern office building. The seven
residential buildings are not fireproof
are without vaults and the office records
are constantly exposed to destruction
by fire. The scattered location of the
buildings and the bad interior arrange
ment of them, due to the fact that they
were not designed for business uses.
and the present crowded and insani-
tary conditions. prevent proper organi-
zation and render high degree of
would be greatly in the interest of both
efficiency and economy in the service
The Attorney General recommends
several amendments to existing laws.
and gives a comprehensive review OF
the work of the department for the
fiscal year. His principal recommen-
dalton was for an amendment to The
commodities clause of the interstate
way of any common carrier which
seeks to transport products over its
lines in which it has any interest what
Soever
Department Difficulties.
In asking for such legislation. the
Attorney General referred to the diff
Guilty the department has encountered
in attempting to break up what is
known as the hard coal combination"
controlling large part of the anthra-
cite fields in eastern Pennsylvania. He
tells Congress that railroads in that
field have met recent Supreme Court
decisions, Interpreting the commodities
clause, by the organization of cor
porations whose stock is distributed
ratably among stockholders of the rail-
road. with it's management dominated
by the railroad
Il recommend" Mr.. Gregory says,
AN amendment which will prohibit a
railroad from transporting in inter-
state commerce articles which it manu-
featured or produced. or which were
manufactured or produced by any cor
poration controlled by it or affiliated
with it by having the same controlling
stockholders, Irrespective of whether
such railroad or such controlled af-
fliated corporation has an interest in
the articles at the time of transporta-
ton
Specifies Federal Crimes
Other recommendations include an
amendment making it federal crime"
to kill an officer of the United States
engaged in serving or executing proc
ess, and authority for the use of
search warrants in advertising fraud
cases which rely on the mails to at
tract victims.
documentary evidence" says the re-
port. only procurable by search. is al
most Indispensable to convict these
swindlers and protect their victims"
AS the law now stands, Mr.. Gregory
points out, no authority exists to re-
cover property used for criminal pur
poses. save on specific conditions under
customs. revenue, Indian liquor. fish
cry, interstate commerce tranSporta-
ton and obscene literature cases.
Attorney General Gregory recon-
mendS that the power of federal grand
juries be enlarged so that they can in
vestigate crimes committed in any di-
vision of federal district. He sug-
gests also that an amendment to exist
ing law is needed whereby a federal
judge in whose court an Indictment is
returned may consider testimony be-
fore the grand jury and enter an Or
der making the warrant run to all
parts of the federal territory.
Of Minor Character.
Amendments of a minor nature are