The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-20
ASCERTAIN SCOPE Ct
TRADE COMAISSIlI
Activities Of Department OF just
Not tn BE Mcasurabls Curtailcd u.
New Buns's Work.
-.nL ENFORCE SHERMAN LAW
W hiie C0uuai->,iUn Val Pay Especial
Attention IA e ntilf iEtdc iTt,-
tee PROV i~auil~ UI ,hc E.attDn ..,..
Wa Cooperate MnerC Un,,~ >c1.l
to Overlap,

Washington. March la.--AtturHty %
General ,r4r&oTg ana mas ADVISERS ln
tHv Department ur justice nave heeH
engaged recently in AN examination 81
IA" uaae comm -s>ion Jaw W4tn tht
view Of determining The extent To
which the ACTIVITIES at the aetaIt-
ment viii be curtailed by those vi tine
new commission
The Attorney General desired IN adj
vance of the organization OF the
commission to have well defined views
as 20 the points to which its activities
would overlap those OF the depart
nent as well as to the character al
the cases on which the cooperation
of the commission ought properly 10
be sought
As a result ot this study Of the new
law, the Department Of Justice viii
take the stand that its activities are
not to be Curtailed TO an apprecia bile
extent. hut that the chief work ~
the commission as far as the enforce
ment Of he laws Is concerned lies
In tAe class of cases not covered by
old sherman law, but still within the
the scope Of the unfair" trade prac-
tce provisions Of the CLAYTON act
In other words the department re-
CARDS itself AZ fully responsible for
the enforcement Of the provisions OF
the sherman law against the forma-
ton Of combinations Ia mouopplize.
interstate commerce while il believes
the trade commission viii have
especial jurisdiction over alleged IL
legal operations Of smaller range and
which cannot be regarded as contem-
plating "a monopoly
Attitude Disclosed.
This attitude Of the department was
disclosed in a high official quarter to-
day, when IL was made known that
the Department of Justice will not
Geek the assistance Of the Trade Com
mission with referense to the investi-
cation OF the l.. & Gas Improvement
Company of Philadelphia. which has
been charged with having monopoly
OF the street lighting business In
American cities
Another Investigation which has
been initiated by the department and
which will be prosecuted to it's CON
clusion without regard TO the views
of the trade commission is that into
the sugar refining situation in the
intermountain States
tffncial assurances were given to-
day that the department will show
the fullest spirit of co~operation with
the commission and will seek it's AS
distance wherever 1t IS considered
proper 10 90 SO under the provisions
OF the law, but ii was indicated with
equal dehniteness that officials regard
requests for such assistance rs s,1h-
Ject entirely TO the discretion Of tho
Acknowledgement In this connection
II was pointed ont that the provisions
OF the new law are not ut all specific
enaetine merely that the Attorney
General may seek the assistance and
cooperation of the trade Sonnisslan
IL ts certain that the department
VIII seek the views Of the commission
however regarding dissolution DEGREES
akaihA' corporations ad5udged 10 be
tnonopolies. In cases Of corporati,rfa
held 10 he In restraint Of trada and
IN the dissolution and reorganization,
OF which questions IF business nrac-
uces are involved the propo~ed de-
cree Will be referred TO the commits
sion for IN opinion