Evening star., 1937-12-28

ing increases.
D. the Associated Press.
II Congress enacts new anti-mo-
nopoly legislation, observers said to-
day. Assistant Attorney General Rob-
ert H. Jackson is slated for the role
Of "trust-buster."
The 45-year-old lawyer already has
had a taste Of this work. As head
Of the Justice Departments antitrust
division, he has been handling mo-
nopoly charges against the Aluminium
Co Of America, telegraph firms and
other industries.
When President Roosevelt took q
trip to Florida a month ago, Mr.
jackson went along to discuss broad
antitrust campaign.
There can't be any national recov-
cry until the monopoly problem Is
solved" he said in an interview today
Conditions Different
Different conditions exist from
those which produced the last depres-
sion.
Wildcat securities no longer are
scattered throughout the country, nor
have We been exporting billions OF
dollars to borrowers abroad. We don't
have the same overproduction of goods
We had in 1929, nor the same excess
plant capacity. Foreign trade is ex-
panding. and on the whole, our f1nan-
cial institutions are sound.
But revision and reinforcement
OF the anti-monopoly laws have been
neglected. Either we must get rid OF
monopoly-pegged prices or We must
find controls which will peg other
prices in relation to them"
Was Revenue Counsel.
Mr.. Jackson's promotion last Janu-
ary to direct the Antitrust Division
was forerunner of Mr.. Roosevelt's S
announced intention to strengthen
monopoly statutes. Before he en-
tered the Justice Department, the
Assistant Attorney General had been
counsel for the Internal Revenue
Bureau
He began his legal practice in
Jamestown, N. Y, % years ago. Now
he lives on a small Maryland farm,
and takes time from his work to en-
joy his favorite exercise-horseback
riding.
The Governments handling of anti
trust proceedings against three big
automobile companies meanwhile drew
condemnation from Senator Borah,
Republican, of Idaho.
He criticized the Government on
much the same grounds that Federal
Judge Ferdinand A. Geiger did re-
Gently when he discharged a Milwau-
kee grand jury which had received
evidence against the companies.
Referring to the fact that the
Justice Department and the companies
had discussed consent decree" set
tlement of the case, Senator Borah
said such negotiations were "all wrong,
both in morals and in their practical
benefits-especially when they are
made after the guilty parties have
come within the clutches of the law"
He said he did not know all the
details about the Milwaukee case, but
that nothing could be more calcu-
lated to encourage the violation of
law than to adopt system permitting
great organization leaders to bail
themselves out by agreeing not to
violate the law again."
The Milwaukee grand jury received
evidence concerning auto financing
methods of General Motors, Ford,
Chrysler and their affiliated finance
companies. When Judge Geiger dis
charged it before it had made public
any charge against the companies, At
torney General Cummings called his
action to the attention of the House
Judiciary Committee. which has power
to institute impeachment proceedings.
Senator Borah expressed his views in
q letter to Clifford T. Vermillion of
Milwaukee, who had written to him
about the case.
Senator Borah also commented, as
did other Senators on the antitrust
statement last night by Robert H.
jackson, Assistant Attorney General.
Expressing hearty accord" with Mr..
Jackson's denunciation of monopoly,
Senator Borah said he could "see no
recovery for vast portion of our peo-
pie so long as private interests fix
prices and thereby continue to deplete
purchasing power"
Senator Hatch, Democrat, of New
Mexico, said he would ask the Senate
Unemployment Committee, of which
he Is member, to seek Department
of Justice data about the effect of
monopolies on unemployment.