The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-06
HEAVY INCREASE IN. LITIGATION NOTED.
Attorney General Daugherty Reports Many Prohibition
 Cases Over Country

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.--Litigation over violations of federal laws is on the increase in the United States, &C., cording to the annual report of At torney General Daughterty. made to- day to Congress.
 In volume replete with statistics of the governments work in law en- forcement against criminals ranging from big business to bootleggers, the Attorney General and his staff de- tailed increases in prosecutions. civil as well es criminal, running the gamut of the federal statutes. In- creases in convictions also were re- cited in the story of the vast work of the, department of justice to se- cure observance of the law.
 Prohibition cases formed a large part of the departments work, but there were large increases also In prosecuting violations of white slave, tax, public land. postal, banking and other federal regulations. Activity also was reported in pressing the war frauds cases.
 Many Prosecutions.
 Under the national prohibition act alone, Mrs. Mabel Walker Wille- brandt, assistant attorney general in charge of prohibition and tax cases,
  civil cases were begun during the last fiscal year-an increase of 15,sS9 over the previous year. Federal courts, she said, were unable to keep abreast of the number of cases brought, although 42,370 criminal and 4,109 civil cases were disposed of dur Ing the year, with 2S,052 criminal and 4.064 civil cases left pending.
 "Rapidity of disposition failed quite to keep pace with the filing" said Mrs. Willebrandt. but with the help of extra judges provided in diff ferent districts the congested condi- tions of dockets is slowly being rem edied."
 Rum smuggling, Mrs. willebrandt's report added, Is "the most gigantic criminal problem the United States ever faced on the high seas" She said the coast guard was not ade- quate with present equipment to pa trol the long Atlantic and Pacific coasts effectually, and reiterated sta- tistics of liquor transactions in the Bahama Islands, indicating extensive smuggling into this country.
 Mrs. Willebrandt also commented on the disparity between sentences imposed by various federal courts in prohibition cases.
 Reluctant To Fine.
 'In many districts" her report said. "the variance between sem tences imposed for violations of the national prohibition act and those im- posed for convictions of other fed eral crimes is striking. Some courts which exact maximum penalties In other federal crimes are reluctant to place heavy punishment on prohibi- tion violators."
 War fraud prosecutions, the Attor- ney Generals report stated, have been pushed vigorously. Hundreds of cases are under investigation, with $S,292,000 already collected and judg- ments of $1,225,00 additional secured. About 100 cases involving s64.251 .0oo, exclusive of the Chemical Foundation suit at Wilmington, Del, now are pending in the courts, with 34 indict- nrents already returned.
 Pioneer work in the war frauds section has been accomplished. the report said. although much time to bring the cases to conclusion will be required. Compromise settlements are being made in a number of cases, the report said, with realizations from the source already totaling $3,708,000.
 Antitrust cases to the number of A are pending, according to the re- port of Augustus T. Seymour. assist ant attorney general in charge of that work. Twenty such cases were disposed of during the last year.
 While it is the purpose of the de- partment of justice not to unneces- sarily interfere with private busi- ness" said MT Seymour, "the federal antitrust laws must be enforced against whoever may attempt to in- terpose artificial restraints in any channel of interstate trade."
 O O O
 Trust Busting Cases.
 Mir. Seyn.our's report recfted the progress made in, the sugar con- spiracyp case, the. reopening of the Harvester trust case, the cement and lumber dealers, and window glass prosecutions. the Central Pacific Union Pacific merger, the United Shoe and other cases.
 In criminal cases, in charge of John w. H. Grim, assistant attorney general; a marked increase in con- victions was reported. Specifically the increase was: White slave act, 59 per cent; postal frauds. per cent; per cent;B postal frauds, per cent; national bayking act. IA per cent; anti-narcotic act. 19 per cent.