The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-01-21
Honolulu Chamber Of Commerce
Has Statement From Its
Parent Organization
SHERMAN ACT ENFORCED
LIKE ALL OTHER STATUTES
Attorney-Gener Gregory De-
fines jurisdiction Of Depart
nent Of Justice In Cases

In o statement issued from headquar
tiers Of the Chamber Of Commerce of the
uuited States, at Washington, to ali Of
subsidiary organizations, copy Of
which has been received by the Cham.
Der Of Commerce of Honolulu. the pol,
icy of the department Of Justice il the
enforcement of the federal antitrust
laws is outlined at length. The state,
ment is the outcome Of several confer.
enees between Attorney General Greg
DRY and committee Of the national
chamber Of commerce, and Is regarded
as one of the most Importance reports
affecting the commercial and financial
world that has been made by the ma.
tional chamber for some time.
The outline, which was submitted to
and approved by the attorney general,
is prefaeed by an explanation that the
chamber has constantly been presented
with inquiries with regard to the re
lationship that might be established be.
tween the federal trade commission ana
the department. and with requests for
information as to the government s at
titude in future antitrust proceedings.
The encouragement was told, the
statement says, that an expression from
him might be regarded as reassuring
to the public mind, = and might adis-
pei some of the uncertainty which here.
tofore eXisted.' - ri zEa.t
Text of Statement .s q. '.'al
The statement In part follows:
I By way of introduction, the attor.
ney general expressed the view that
much of the Misunderstanding that ex.
lists in some quarters in relation to the
Sherman act is due to the fact that in
the minds of many it has come to be
thought of as u statute apart from the
general body Of laws. This, he point
ed out, is not the case. On the con
trary, the Sherman. act is enforced by
the department of justice in the same
manner and according to the same rules
Of policy as other statutes--with the
same care and with neither more or
less rigOr. Plain or intentional viola
tons are proceeded against vigorously,
as under other statutes. =.
when, as with all statutes, doubt
full cases arise in which there was no
intent to violate the law, they are dealt
win just db slInllaf eases under other
statutes are dealt with-that is, with a
view to enforcing strict compliance
with the law, but without unneeessar.
lily stigmatizing or unnecessarily bur
dening with litigation persons who have
been honestly mistaken as to the law and
who stand ready to reetiry their mis-
take. = a. .E.#|
Points Taken Up ...lsE
-Four points were then taken up: 4
" First-The complaint that the law
is uncertain. E..'".
"Second-The policy of the depart.
ment Of justice as regards the method
of enforcing the law in admittedly
doubtful cases. u
"Third-The means adopted by the
department to guard against unjust
prosecutions,
Fourth-The policy of the depart
ment in cases where ii and the federal
trade commission are both charged
with the enforcement of the law.
Concerning the first point, the at
torney-general stated that willis con
cededly there is in the law Of restraint
of trade an area of doubt, in the vast
majority of cases it is not difficult to