Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-18
GREGORY DISCUSSES
ANTITRUST LAWS
Attorney General Would Com
pletely Divorce Transporta-
ton From Production.
AMENDMENT IS NEEDED

Washington, Dec. l/.---Ioinpiete VI
yorcement OF transportation from pro-
duet;on by amending the commodities
clause of the Interstate Commerce
law: authority to sue corporations
wherever they transact business; per-
lection OF neutrality laws and extern
sion OF the right Of search warrant in
criminal cases are among the recon-,
mendations OF Attorney General
Gregory in his annual report to con-
gress, made public today.
The attorney general says that de-
spite the governments victory in the
s,,nreme court in the Lackawanna
Coal company case the railroads are
still able to claim that the common
ties clause does not prohibit them
from engaging in production along
their lines, provided only that they
sell the articles produced before
Transporting them. He urges an
amendment, introduced at the last
session of congress, to prohibit,
railroad from transporting articles
manufactured or produced by it or by
any corporation it controls or 1t IS
affiliated with by having the same
controlling stockholders, irrespective
OF interest in the articles at the time
OF transportation. He says i IS also
necessary that congress prohibit any
railroad owned or controlled by a
producing or trading corporation, and
not merely plant, from transporting
the articles produced or owned.
Employment for federal prisoners
and an amendment to the criminal
code to prohibit the false labelling OF
packages which contain arms and am
munition are among other recon-
mendations. The last is to meet eva
ms Of the embargo on arms to
Mexico.
Ten Anti Trust Cases Settled.
The present administration, the at
torney general says, has insisted up
on more effective dissolutions OF mo-
nopolies and combinations in restraint
OF trade and at the same time has
been solicitous to avoid prosecutions
for which there is no adequate
ground" During the year ten OF
these cases have been finally deter
mined and of thirty-six cases now
pending, fifteen, including the Read.
ing, Lehigh Valley, Harvester, Steel
Kodak and shoe machinery cases
have reached the supreme court. q
those disposed Of, one was the case
of the National Register company
whose conviction was set aside BY
the court Of appeals, annulling two
counts OF the Indictment and con
STRUNG the third so as to make sue
ccssful retrial impossible, and the At
torncy general says the criminal pro
ceedings will not be further prose
cuted."
The report says considerable prog
ress has been made in the govern
ment suits against the Southern Pa
cihc railroad affecting title to Of
lands. The lands involved In the lit
CATION, Mr.. Gregory says, Aggregate
10000 acres. said to be worth $500,
100000.
Enforcement OF the white slav
traffic law led to 494 indictments, 50
convictions, 81 cases nolle pressed
As acquittals and 400 cases still pend
ing. Since the law was passed Their
have been 1857 convictions, sentence
aggregating 2,468 years and fines to
falling $4,000. Legislation Is urge
to enable wives to testify agains
their husbands.
Despite countrywide investigate
Of reported breaches Of neutrality an
other criminal acts arising from tn
war. many Of the cases were foun
TO have violated state rather tina
federal laws. Most Of the plots ID
VOWED difficulty in obtaining ev
denee. The Mexican situation ha
led to IS indictments, affecting {
persons, Of whom rs have been cor
victed.
Mere plotting alone" says the r,
port, is not criminal. Planning q
preparation in this country Of mil
tary expedition designed to stat
from point outside this countr
seems not to be forbidden by Law
Hence many activities which produc
constant friction cannot at present !
reached"