Evening star., 1923-08-28

MINNEAPOLIS. August 2s. - 4
promise of legal protection for the
American public against dishonest
business was made here today by As
sistant Attorney General Seymour. in
charge of antitrust prosecutions of
the Department of Justice, in ad
dressing the National Association OF
Attorneys General.
without disclosing the branches of
business and industry against which
the government is invoking the anti
trust statutes. Mr.. Seymour criticized
severely those who speculate in food
stuffs, promoters of fake stocks and
other securities and trade associa tions
operating to increase commodity
prices or decrease competition. The
assistant attorney general urged
greater cooperation between the
state and the federal governments in
protecting the public against dis
honest business practices and an
Daugherty, to further this end, con-
templated establishing an office in
the Department of Justice where
state authorities might secure neces-
sary information and advice.
Need Interference.
Commenting on the slogan of less
government in business" Assistant
Attorney General Seymour declared
that I'VE need so much interference
general public a square deal and an
open count whenever business men
are secretly attempting to exclude
others from competing in their field
of activity or attempting to raise and
exact eXorbitant prices by artificial
means"
1T is not the purpose of the de-
partment to obStruct business" said
the assistant attorney general regard
ing illegal practices of trade associa-
tions, which. he said. have been or
ganized in virtually every branch of
business.
Many of them" he said, have been
found. and some of them are still
clearly violating the provisions of
the antitrust act and a number of
suits are now pending against them.
These associations should be encour-
aged when their conduct is lawful,
but when they are mere cloaks for
crease prices by express or tacit
agreement, they should be destroyed
and the members who violate the law
should be dealth with vigorously"
Hits Food Gamblers.
Speculation In foodstuffs. Mr.. Sey-
mour declared. should not be permit
ted and gamblers should be barred
from operating on legitimate ex-
changes. Legitimate business as well
as the public's interest suffers from
such speculation, he asserted in ref
erence to the recent "skyrocketing"
of sugar prices which brought the
governments antitrust suit against
the New York sugar markets.
THE problem of curbing specula-
tion in the necessities of life is re-
ceiving the most careful attention of
federal officials" said Mr.. Seymour.
ITO make suof exchanges legiti-
mate and useful enterprises those
transactions must be eliminated
which are fictitious and which re-
fleet arbitrary and artificial prices"
Discussing the fiuctuating prices Of
gasoline in various states, Mr.. Sey-
mour said that the "oil industry as a
whole Is a subject for continuous OBJ
servation by federal authorities and
furnishes one Of the most important
partment of Justice" He referred
to plans of mid-western oil refiners to
close down this month because of
overproduction of oil and asked the
effects of this condition in industry
should not be passed along to the
consumer.
"It is important" he added, that
every local instrumentality of re-
fining and distributing should be
carefully watched that state govern
ments may discharge their duties In
Furnishing crimes or preventing IL
legal practices which tend to deny
the people free and full enjoyment OF
natural resources"
Prohibition has resulted In great
benefit ito the public generally. Mr..
Seymour said, in urging law observ-
ance.