New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-08-27

had, the respondent being present In
person or by attorney with every Op-
p%Ortunity TO cross examine the witness
! es and examine documentary evidence.
After that, there is placed at the dis
posal of the accused person Or con-
Germ all the processes of the cOmmis-
sion So that he may produce his W
witnesses and compel the production
Of books or papers or any other docu-
mentary evidence which he may wish
Ia employ in his defense. In the end
the commission may find that either
The acts complained of have not been
committed, or, if committed, may not
cas-. the whole matter is dismissed.
If, however, it is found that the
things complained of have actually
been done. and that They are contrary
Ia the public interest. the commits.
sion's order to cease from the prac-
tices complained of is issued. But
then, if the accused person believes
thai the decision is unfair To him. he
may appeal to the circIit court of ap-
peals of the United States and thence
Ia the Supreme court of the Unite,
States.
Experience has shown that about
two out Of three of the complaints
which are brought to the COMMISSIONS
attention are not such as 10 warrant
any formal proceedings. and thus mat
tiers are dismissed without annoyance
to the person ar persons complained
Of, without publicity and without pub
lie knowledge.
II is the view of the commission that
business il suffering under II very real
hardship. Ii is the same hardship. il
is pointed mi. that President lsoose-
welt saw when he secured the creation
of the bureau of corporations; il is
the same hardship which President
Wilson recognized when he advocated
The broadening of the functions of the
bureau of corporations by the creation
Of the federal trade commission II is
his: Laws made to apply TO business
are of necessity inhexible, while bust
ness changes day by day. What is
good for one industry is bad for an
other. What amounts To "A mortal sin
in one industry may be actually n vir-
tue in another. So 1t is that there is
a body of antitrust laws drawn 10
meet most known business sins. but
in the very nature of their drafting
they are so infiexible MS To work hard
ship.
Siackers to Get Just Dues.
The federal government has gone
out after the deserters and delin-
guents In the world war in earnest.
4 deserter is Il man who registered
under the selrctiyr draft law, but
who did not respond 10 the call 10
the coIOrs. A delinquent is a man
who should have registered and did
not do 50. The de%seriers ar" within
tie Jurisdiction OF the war depart
ment and are being dealt with by that
never having taken any step toward
entering the army, have "a civil status
and are being dealt with by III. de-
lartment of justice.
When the armistice was sisirri. II
was estimated by the provost mar
shal general thai there were l!"re
Than 40J.OO deserlers and delin-
uuenis. OF this number approximate
~ 2ID.0O were dessrters. thai is, say,
men who had registered but VIII"
fniln.I -. t..GYuaIl.I ul.l slll..I .ll FIR
service.
Lists Cut Down to 175,00G.
The authorities early IN the war as
summed an attitude Of l%eniency toward
all those who after arrest exhibited
u Willingness Ia register. believing
that The purpose of the law WAS to
secure Il full registration rather than
fun jails. Consequently 2,6G3 of those
unprecedented were released after har.
ing registered aud prosecutions were
begun against 2.Hh'.
Ever since the war was ended 10y
the armistice the war department has
been going through lis lists of desert
ers and delinqnenls and has cut those
HE'S tffNi utllf " wv" ~ '" 49, -
of about 49, W men who registered
and then did not report for duty or
should have registered and failed to
do sn. The authorities feel that the
time has come when this so-,allet
hangover of the war should hc final
~ disposed Of. So IN ar'. riancr with
an order ISSUED the other day boih
the war department and is- depart
mpnt Of justice will from this time b'
active IN disposiDg ~ these eases ui,-
III all are out Of the way.
Some leniency To Be Sho~n.
The government H. not inclined 10
be- overly severe. Its Investigations
show that in u great many eases inen
are only technically guilty. There are
thousands Of cases. IL is asserted IN
which the troubles of the men are du"
10 fear. Through ON slip they failed
To report for duty when ordered To do
81. or failed 10 register. and becoming
alarmed lest some ,.sere penalty WAS
Ia ls imposed On them. disappeared.
I'll. authorities say thai If these men
had come forward when they were
first wanted the eases against Them
would unquestioDably have been dis
missed.
As II Is. the government is now ~
fering the deseriers and delinqusnis
an opportunity To come "ui Of hiding
aud II promises that wherever thev
can show q reasonable defense they
will lie permitted to go their way. A
little later the government proposes
to make public u list by states OF the
deserters and deIinquents s'ill at
hrge. Announcement is made that
men who voluntarily rpme forward
within the next few weeks and admit
thst they were wrong will he left OF
fIis Hat.