The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-06-04

investigated the alleged trust. II
preparing the case for action the DE
partment of justice had the beneti'
of all these investigations.
The testimony, exhibits, briefs, and
written and oral arguments were eN
ceedingly volumnous. The examiner
in the case sat lGG days in nine dif-
ferent cities and heard 100 witnesses
The testimony made up 30 volumes
containing $500 printed pages. There
were more than 1850 pages OF print
ed arguments aside from the yoluml
nous answers filed by the many de-
PENDANTS. and the oral arguments NIL
ed more than l,S0O typewriter pages
The defendants named and the
original bill OF complaint were the
steel corporation, its subsidiaries, and
l. p. Morgan (deceased), Charles
Steele. George w. Perkins, +. H.
Gary. Chas. NJ. Schwab, Andrew Car
negie. Henry c. Frick, James Gayley
Willia1 II. Moore, j. II. Moore, Ed
mund G. Converse, John d. RocRe-
feller. John d. Rockefeller Jr., p. A.
h. Widener and William p. Palmer
past or present directors of the Steel
CORPORATION. together with certain
companies. known as the James J. Hill
interests. and Louis w. Hill, James
y. Hill. Walter J. Hill, Edward T.
Nichols. ]. II. Gruber who were sued
as trustees Of the Hill interests.
In brief the general charge against
the defendants was that some of the
companies in themselves were combi-
nations in restraint of trade and that
the creation of the Steel Corporation
which took in the steel and certain
other companies named in the suit
was "an attempt 10 monopoIize and
monopolization" in violation of the
sherman antitrust law.
The Hill ore companies were in
volved in the sYit by reason OF the
fact that the steel corporation leased
the ore deposits held by the ore com
panies, the government alleging that
this lease gave the corporation a
monopoly .. the ore supply OF the
United States. This lease was can
ceIled after the suit was filed.
The governments complaint stated
that the Federal Steel company. Car
negie company of New Jersey. Amer
lean Steel and Wire company of New
Jersey, National Tube company, Ma
tional Steel company, American Tir
Plate Company, American Steel HooI
| company, and American Sheet Stee
company were each combination
of companies or concerns in restrain
of trade; that competition was largel!
eliminated in their respective lines
that at the time the United State
| StPtl NuIpUI dtlOu NdS lOl HiSN' W.
Carnegie, Federal. and National wer
in active competition with each other
that several of the companies wer
preparing to still further increas
their capacity to compete by estat
\ fishing themselves along new lines o
manufacture and that for these rea
sons and for the general purpose O
suppressing competition and CONTROL
ing trade and commerce, the Inite'
States Steel Corporation was forme
bv the directors named in the suit
all OF whom except the Rockefeller
had been variously connected wit
one or more companies.
The government further stated tina
the steel Corporations capitalization
aggregated s1,i02 ,S4G,Sl7; that thi
Capitalization was not less than 5000
GOO 0V0 IN excess Of the value of IN
II properties taken over; that its earn
II ingS were not commensurate with II
Il actual capital. nor were they entirel
i the legitimate fruits of the earning
/ capacity OF the properties acquired
/ separately controlled, but We're larGel