The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-08

ton Of the Antitrust law
 This grew out of an indictment by a South Bend, Ind, federal grand jury on charges that the Big Three motor companies - Ford, General Motors and Chrys- ler--were violating the anti-nlo- nopoly laws by secretly controlling motor finance corporations. The suits were based on numerous complaints made to the govern ment by independent dealers and finance companies that the Big Three forced them to finance through their own companies.
 Following the indictments, Ford and Chryslcr opened quiet nego- tiations with the Antitrust Divi- sion for an out-or-court settle- ment.
 After several abortive at- tempts, Ford lawyers last week reached an agreement with the division. The Justice Depart. ment agrees to dismiss the anti-monopoly suit. Tn return the rc.d company sets up sort of code of fair-trade practice.
 Details are being kept secret temporarily for two reasons: CD because the government wants to submit the agreement to the con- plaining Independents for their ap- proval before officially announcing It; (2) because similar settle ment is in the works with Chryg- Ter. The Justice Department hopes to be able to make both agree ments public at the same time.
 General Motors, in line with its general stiff -neckcd anti-Admin- istration attitude, SO far has re- mained aloof from the peace ne- gotiations.
 NOTE - Donald R. Richberg, one-time NRA boss and White House intimate, was a Ford rep resentative in the peace negotia- tions and helped bring about a settlement.
 Taft's Son
 One Republican primary tomor- row which the New Deal Is watch ing closely is the Ohio Senatorial battle between Supreme Court Judge Arthur H. Day and the millionaire son of the late Presi- dent Taft.
 Tn contrast to his brother Charles Taft, Robert Alphonso Taft, the Ohio Senatorial candi- date, is bitter enemy of the New Deal. He was the man who brought the Supreme Court suit testing out the gold content of the dollar.
 Brother Charles. on the other hand, was Landon'S Brain Truster, wrote a book friendly tO Roosevelt, and was unlnvited to make Lincoln Day address because he refused to damn the New Deal.
 Despite Robert Taft's presiden- tial lineage, Judge Day is the more colorful of the two men. The son of country doctor, he worked his way up from hotel bell-hop, has a notable record on the Ohio Supreme Court. He as been waging a poor mans cam paign while Taft is reputed to have spent . quarter of a million dollars.
 Judge Day was ahead until Taft unloosed the purse strings. Now 1t is an even break.
 Don't Go to Alaska
 A new Don't" should be writ ten down in Jim Farlcy's political note book. It should read: Don't go to Alaska during an election year"
 For while the postmaster gem eral has been In the Klondike, the thing nearest and dearest to his heart has been as good as lost, namely Democratic control of New York state.
 For f1ve years Jim has been a dominating influence in the poli- tics of that state. He spends only about two days a week in Wash ington, the rest of the time largely in New York. He has long nursed the ambition to be governor, but now that is out the window--all because he went 10 Alaska.
 For while Jim was browsing through the northland, the American Labor Party made a deal with the Republicans-which probably means Democratic de- feat.
 Inside story of how this slipped through is typical of the present bungling within the Democratic Party. It began before Jim de- parted. in fact before Senator Copeland's death, when the American Labor Party came to Jim and wanted to team up with the Democrats. All the Laborites wanted at that time was to name the lieutenant governor on the Democratic ticket. They also pro- posed to run Sidney Hillman Of the Amalgamated Clothing Work CTS against Copeland.
 Farley noWAVer turned fheno