Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08
LAWS
REVISION STUDIED
Department of Justice Re-
ported Taking Stock of
Weaknesses of Statutes.
Special Dispatch ~ The Star.

Special Dispatch 20 The Star.
WOODSTOCK. VT. August .
Recommendation for u revision of
the antitrust laws are being studied
and prepared at the Department of
Justice. according To authoritative in
formation. They promise To- hrin-.
forward the relationship of the COY
eminent To business as an important
topic in the short session of Congress.
Hints that the administration was
concerned over the failure of the Sher-
man and Clayton acts To meet new
situations in business have REQUIRED
from time to time ami il was gener-
ally understood William j. Donovan.
assistant To the Attorney General. "A
pressed an administration viewpoint
III his speech before the New York
bankers III Quebec. when he minated
the old statutes no longer apply '"
conditions which seem contrary TO
the public intercSt.
Laws May BE RrcaSt.
II now is definitely known that The
whole subject Of antitrust legislation
is being subjected IL careful inVcSti-
cation at the department with Il view
toward recastinG the laws. Iresur-
ably they arc to hc extended to alleged
acts of monopoly ami restraint "
il is felt that when the subject i
opened it will lead To one of the mos
spirited fights of recent years i'll Con
GreSS.
The insurgcnt bloc in Congress Is
expected to demand drastic penalties
for those convicted of violating TN"
antitrust laws and To insist on u
wide application of such statutes. or
ganiZed labor probably will join in
the discussion. with the inSistenCe
that trade unions he exempted in no
uncertain manner from Application of
the laws and that they he freed from
the fear of injunctions handed down
under this type of legislation.
Another issue involved i'll the ad-
ministration's attitude toward bust
ness arose because of the partici-
patton of the Federal Trade Commits
sion i'm the consent decree against
the Ward baking merger. The fact
that the Department Of Justice for
the first time brought the Trade Com
mission into the case was hailed at
the time as an achievement. because
it was regarded a step toward ter
mination with one stroke separate
actions being taken by two different
governmental agencies in the future.
Progressives Opposed.
Later. members of the progressive
group challenged the ACCESSIBILITY of
the move on the ground that tho
Trade Commission should not he
bound by the department, but should
he permitted to follow its course in
dependently.
1t is generally believed thar the
policy laid out in the decree against
the baking merger will be attempted
hereafter IN all similar cases.
1t is indicated the administration is
prepared to refute with its record of
antitrust cases any campaign
charges that the Republicans have
been partial to big business. A show
ing will he made if necessary that q
cases have been started under tho
antitrust laws since July l. 1925.
Seven were civil and seven criminal
Thirty-twO cases have been closed
since that date and now pending are
20 cases, II being criminal and l.
civil actions. The department has
investigated $40 complaints of alleged
violations of the antitrust laws In
the last year. Fines amounted To
S307.S01 In cases completed.