Evening star., 1915-06-27
TO REACH TRUSTS
UNDER NEW LAWS
Guilty Combinations May Be
Taken in Hand by Federal
Trade Commission.
EXPLAINS INDIFFERENCE
OVER RECENT DECISIONS
Not Intention of Administration to
Proceed Against Violators in
Sensational Manner.

The Indifference in administration
circles, particularly the Department of
Justice, to the recent decision of the
United States Supreme Court favorable
to the steel trust as not being in viola
ton of the Sherman antitrust laws. is
explained by high officials as being due
to the fact that If the steel trust or
any other large combination is guilty
Of evasions of the law in any specific
manner there viii be no trouble in
reaching it under the antitrust laws
passed By the last Congress and placed
under the federaltrad commission for
enforcement. The suit against the steel
trust and the action pending in the
Supreme Court against the Harvester
trust were taken under former trust
laws, which were clarified. broadened
and strengthened by the new laws. it
is claimed.
In the decision in the steel trust case
the court held that the alleged unfair
methods of competition that were COM
planned of had been corrected prior
to the filing of the suit and intimated
that If they were again attempted the
government would have no trouble IN
reaching the offenders through the
Joseph l.. Davies. This decision had
direct reference to the alleged dinners
and other gatherings. where plans. to
stifie competition We're made and later
put into effect.
While it is not the intention of the
federal trade commission or of the ad-
ministration to proceed against viola :
tors of the existing trust laws in Il
sensational manner, it is the belief of
high officials that the commission will
fak off OCT
tervals to prevent a growth of monop-
DIV in any large combination. Neither
the members of the commssi nor
the President proposes to hamper big
business. and. on the contrary. want
both to encourage legitimate big and
LITTLE business. but 1t is known to be
the purpose to quietly eradicate all
schemes. wherever they crop up, tina t
foster monopoly and conduce to unfair
practices.
Await Harvester Trust Decision.
Otficials of the administration and the
commission await with deep interest
the final decision of the Supreme Court,
expected next winter. in the Harvester
.rust suit The contention of the gov
.rnment in this case is a rather un-
usual one 1t raises the issue whether
hipness in combination. as with the
harvester trust, is a menace to the
interests of the state The claim is
hat such a huge organization has DO
| tentialities that must be taken cog
nizance Of The court, in setting the
c.se for reargument some months
ago indicated doubt as to what it's de-
! rision would be and preferred to hear
| fresh argument before rendering its final
verdict
1t is not the understanding that the
| administration will seek to stir up
trouble among big corporations in the
near future, but will. it is intimated
today, rely upon the federal trade COM
mission to quietly eradicate danger
sno;s in the combination world
without the work becoming a bugbear
to business generally. In the case of
the Harvester trust, should the court
favor that combination, the trade com
mission, which for years carefully in
vestigated the methods of the trust
| through the bureau Of corporations
aud knows its characteristics swell