New Britain herald., 1923-12-04

striking. Some courts which exact maximum penalties in other federal crimes are reluctant to place heavy punishment on prohibition violators.' War fraud prosecutions, the attor- ney generals report stated. have been pushed vigorously. Hundreds of cases are under investigation, with 3,252,- 900 already collected and judgments of $1,225,0o0 additional secured About 100 cases involving s64,237,o0o, exclusive of the Chemical Foundation suit at Wilmington. Del, now are pending in the courts, with 34 indict- ments already returned.
 Pioneer work in the war frauds sec tion has been accomplished, the re- port said although much time to bring the cases to conclusion will be required. Compromise settlements are being made in number of cases, the report said, with realizations from this source already totalling s3,7oS.- 0oO.
 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 dis posed of during the last year.
 No Interference
 While its the purpose of the de- partment of justice not to unnecessari- ly interfere with private business" said Mir. Seymour. 'the federal anti trust laws must be enforced against whoever may attempt to interposs interstate trade"
 Mir. Seymours report recited the progress made in the sugar conspir- acy case. the re-opening of the Har- vester trust case. the cement and lum. Der dealers, and window glass prose cutions the Central Pacific Union Pa cific merger. the United Shoe and other cases.
 Tn criminal cases, in charge of John W. H. Grim, assistant attorney gener- al, a. marked increase in convictions was reported. Specifically, the increase was. White-Slave act, S2 per cent; motor vehicle theft act, i6 per cent: postal frauds. per cent; national banking act. 1i4 per cent; anti-narco- tic act, 19 per cent.
 Public lands litigation also was heavy during the last year, William D, Ritter assistant attorney general re- ported. With 164 civil and 62 criminal cases pending at the years outset, go civil and 64 criminal suits were insti- tuted, Disposed of during the year were 113 civil and n criminal cases mostly favorsbly to the government, Money recoveries in such cases az gregsted s577.oo0. ,.
 great increase in claims filed against the government was reported by Robert H. Lovett, assistant in charge of the claims section. On June go last 1.957 claims aggregating sl,- S46,659, 900 werepending, of which i,- 393 totalling st,0S5, ,695,o0o were filed during the last year. 'Most of these grew out of war transactions. Sue cessful resistance Of the government in many claims cases also was dis closed in the report. which said that during the year the court of claims dismissed a total of i0i claims aggre- gating si2.e63,o00 and in the other 70 cases claimants recovered only sl,oi7.00o.
 An interesting chapter of Attorney Daugherty's report dealt with the work of the bureau of inyestiga- ton, beaded by William J. Burns. He reported thousands of criminal inves- tigations, from espionage 10 violations of the federal motor vehicle theft law. Doserters, draft dodgers, bootleggers rum smugglers and many other crim Inal classes fell afoul Of the bureaus agents. The report also disclosed that Inc government has stan Of agents specially trained 10 ferret out viola lions of the antitrust laws.
 More Prisons Needed
 Heber II. Notaw, superintendent of federal prisons, renewed recommenda- lions for additional prison facilities, 1 that the three federal pris- ! ,ns, at Atlanta, Beayenworth and Me veil's Island, were filled to capacity" { ast year. \ prison for male first of. 'endcrs and better accommodation or employment for federal prisoners, llso was recommended.
 A few legislative recommendation were made to congress in the attorney | report. These dealt chiefly | with strengthening the criminal laws 1ne recommendation was for an amendment making killing of a fed ral officer, while engaged in serving process, a federal ofIense. Assault lpon such an officer now is penalized ut his death is left to states to pun. sh.
 other legislative recommendations we're to penalize mailing of threaten ng letters, providing for stenograph- ITS before grand iuries, making at empts 10 defraud the government a rime and punishing destruction or injury of federal property.
 Uniform bankruptcy fees also were recommended by tho attorney general rho advocated extension Of the one ear limitation within which criminal growing out Of bank uptcy proceedings must be brought.
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