New-York tribune., 1922-10-21
for
Bureau to Keep
Business Legal
Favors Government Agency
to Advise Industry ON
Whether Projects Rum
Counter to Legislation
Against Harassing Suits
Men Of Commerce Want to
DO Right, but Need Help,
He Writes in Magazine

From The Trltune's washssoeon Bareaa
WASHINGTON, Oct. ao.--Announce
fiient was made by the Chamber of
Commerce Of the United States to-
night that Attorney General Daugherty
favors the creation of governmental
agency to advise business organiza-
tions, and supervise their activities.
Mr.. Daugherty has prepared state
mefit for the official publication Of the
Chamber of Commerce, "The Nations
Business" in which he approves tho
plan originating in the Department of
Commerce for such an agency.
The Attorney General believes that
the number of violations of the law
by business men can be reduced to a
minimum il the government will pro
vide a means of assisting them to keep
within the law.
BY setting up the necessary ma
chinery to pass on the plans of bust
ness organizations, Mr.. Daugherty
thinks that American producers will be
enabled legitimately to strengthen
their hands in search Of markets, and
at the same time the government will
avoid much expensive Investigation
and litigation.
Business has conscience; busi-
ness, as a whole. is inherently honest,
and so long as am Attorney General
| am not going unnecessarily TO harass
MEN who unwittingly run counter with
the. statutes" says the Attorney Cen
eral.
Defines His Attitude
According tc the Attorney General,
men who take an active interest in
the extension into usefulness of trade
associations have little to fear from
the government, so long as they make
an honest effort to do the right thing.
But on the other hand, Mr. Daugherty
says, the man who starts out with the
deliberate intention of finding q safe
way Of doing what the law says he
shall not DO is going to receive mighty
little sympathy from the department.
Defining the governments attitude
toward violations of the Sherman
antitrust law. Mr.. Daugherty says:
"It can be said that it has been the
since I became Attorney General to
try to settle and clear up the law in
regard to violations of the Sherman
antitrust law, in order that American
business men may know as accurately as
possible what they can and what they
cannot do that might or might not be
considered violation of the law.
"The most desirable thing in the
world for business is settled con-
dition.
"The government does not want to
be a muckraker, nor does it desire to
interfere with legitimate business. On
the contrary, it desires to help legiti-
mate business in every legitimate way.
"The government should not be used,
nor Is it being used, to favor one or
the law is and all should have the pro-
lection the law affords and all should
feel the responsibility of complying
with the law.
Could Start Many Cases
"The government could institute
many more cases against business con-
Germs and associations in order to test
the question as to whether or not they
are strictly complying with the Sher-
man antitrust law, but it would re-
quire such force of men and take sc
much of the time of the courts that
it would be impossible. The desirable
thing to do is to bring such cases as
cannot in good conscience be avoided
and dispose of them as promptly as
the clogged condition of the courts will
permit, SO that the law can be made
plain and those who violate the law,
thus made as plain as possible, will be
compelled to take the consequences Of
their acts.
Ninety per cent of the business men
OF the country are men of good con-
science and desire to observe the law.
me trouble is that many professional
organizers conceive schemes and plans
that cut corners quickly. Their busi-
ness is to get around the law if they