Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-08-31

dNNGSSQ IL
in which TO prepare his reply in writ
ing an thereafter a full hearing is
had, the respondent being present in
person or by attorney with every OPP
portunity. to eross-exanline 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 commits
SIGN so that he may produce his own
witnesses and compel the production
of books or papers or any other docu-
mentary evidence which he may wish
to 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
properly be said to be unfair, in which
case the whole matter is dismissed.
If, however, it is found that the
things complained of have actually
been done, and that they are contrary
to the public interest, the commits
siOn's order to cease from the prac-
tees complained of is issued. But
t1iCll, IL lit dGNuSSQ PCISOil DSiIchCS
that the decision is unfair to him, he
may appeal to the circuit court of ap-
peals of the United States and thence
to the Supreme court of the United
States.
Experience has shown that about
two out of three of the complaints
which are brought to the commissions
attention are not such as to warrant
any formal proceedings, and thus mat
tiers are dismissed without annoyance
to the person or persons complained
of, without publicity and without pub
lie knowledge.
1t is the view of the commission that
business is suffering under a very real
hardship. 1t is the same hardship, It
is pointed out. that President Roose-
welt saw when he secured the creation
of the bureau of corporations; it 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. 1t is
tilIS Id W . ~ Apply ~ buSihCSS
are of necessity infexible, 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 vir-
tue in another SO it is that there is
body of antitrust laws drawn TO
meet most known business sins, but
in the very nature of their drafting
they are so infieXible as to work hard
ship.
SIackers to Get Just Dues.
The federal government has gone
out after the deserters and delin-
quents in the world war in earnest.
A deserter is a man who registered
under the selective draft law, but
who did not respond to the call TO
the colors. A delinquent is man
who should have registered and did
not do so. The deSerters are within
the jurisdiction of the war depart
ment and are being dealt with by that
department, while the delinquents,
never having taken any step toward
entering the army, have civil status
and are being dealt with by the de
partment of justice.
When the armistice was signed, it
was estimated by the provost mar
shall general that there were more
than 100000 deserters and delin-
quents. OF this number approximate
" 100000 were deSerters, that is, say,
men who had registered but who
failed to respond when called on for
service.
Lists Cut Down to 175,o0o
The authorities early in the war as
sumed an attitude of leniency toward
all those who after arrest exhibited
willingness TO register, believing
that the purpose of the law was to
secure Il full registration rather than
full jails. Consequently 1868 of those
unprecedented were released after haY
ing registered and prosecutions were
begun against 2,095.
Ever since the war was ended by
the armistice the war department has
been going through its lists of desert
ers and delinquentS and has cut those
lists down until it now has the names
of about 175000 men who registered
and then did not report for duty or
should have registered and failed TO
do so. The authorities feel that the
time has come when this SO-calied
hangover of the war should be final
~ disposed Of SO in accordance with
iScIrnI fhn nt bAp 11U hnfh
the war department and the depart
ment of Justice will from this time be
active in disposing Of these cases I'M
til all are out of the way.
Some Leniency To Be Shown.
The government is not inclined to
be overly severe. Its Investigations
show that in a great many cases men
are only technically guilty. There are
thousands of cases. it is asserted in
which the troubles of the men are due
to fear. Through some slip they failed
TO report for duty when ordered to do
so. or failed to register. and becoming
alarmed lest some severe penalty was
to be imposed on them, disappeared.
The authorities say that If these men
had come forward when they were
first wanted the cases against them
would upquestionably have been dis
missed.
AS II is. the government is now Of
fering the deSerters and delinquents
an opportunity to come out of hiding
and it promises that wherever they
can show reasonable defense they
will be permitted to go their way. A
little later the government proposes
to make public list by states of the
deserters and delinquents still at
large. Announcement is made that
men who voluntarily come forward
within the next few weeks and admit
that they were wrong Will be left off
this list.