The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-01-08
TRUST OR NOT A TRUST
THAT'S THE QUESTION
ATTITUDE OF THE covERNM EMIT
TOWARD THE AMERICAN
S. & r. COMPANY.

The Washington correspondent of
the Engineering and Mining Journal
gives some interesting information re-
garding the investigations being made
by the department of justice into the
business methods of the so-called
smelter trust He says:
Attorney General McReynolds Is still
carrying on Investigations into the or
ganization Of the American Smelling &
Refining company, with a view to MAX
ing definite report as to whether
the concern is or Is not trust" and
as such needs to be prosecuted under
the law as now framed. BY inquiry
at the department, 1t is learned that
the attorney-g general will not make any
definite report either to congress or
ito the president for some little time to
come with reference to this subject
He has, however, completed the So
called field work." and whatever re-
mains to be done Is in the nature Of
office investigation, consultation with
the company and decision on the line
of policy to be followed. It Is inti-
mated at the department that the ult-
mate outcome will depend a good deal
upon the attitude taken by the COM
pany itself In conferences which are
now understood to be in progress be-
tween representatives of the depart
ment and of the concern itself In
Guided in the subject matter of the
discussion, it is understood is some
consideration of the labor situation In
the plants OF the corporation, a phase
Of the concerns work which has re-
Gently been brought under the general
consideration Of former Commissioner
OF Labor Charles p Neill, who has
been transferred to the New York
Office OF the company. Ii the CORPORA
tion should be inclined to follow the
suggestions Of the government, it is
believed that 1t will be treated as was
the New Haven, that is to say, nothing
VIII be done to interfere with 1t
through court proceedings. Govern
ment officials refuse to go into, detail
as to the points that are now at issue,
out 1t is understood that they have
been Informed that any change in the
form OF organization of the company
would be exceedingly difficult, mas
much as the separation Of the owner
snip OF the various plants would hardly
pc feasible. The process of smelling
CHrrinA an .
ably because of the cooperation of the
diFferant plants in dealing with the
durerent grades of ore and in adj
Justing their production to the re-
quirenents Of the different qualities
OF ore purchased in the various parts
OF the country. 1t is claimed that there
is no trust" in the ordinary sense If
the word, inasmuch as the concern is
subject to competition of sharp kinl
from many sources.
Apparently the hostility to the |
Smelling & Refining company in con-
3fess which was very acute about
year and half ago. at the time when |
'ney. General Wickersham an !
nounced that there was no trust in the |,
business, has fallen off somewhat |
partly on account of the fact that the
department of justice is continuing its /
INQUIRIES, under the new management
OF Mr., McReynolds, partly because
some of the foremost opponents of the
concern have. left congress.
The department is working on the
affairs of the so-caled quicksilver
pool and authorized Representatives
state that as in the case Of the smelt-
ing question, the field work has been
done, but that no report in this matter
VIII be formally made for some time
to come. Quiet Investigations are be.
ing made into the copper situation ana
particularly in the labor conditions In
the copper industry but no action ne
to these is in prospect for the immedi.
ate future.
Wen Informed persons assert thai
the administration has no wish in the ;