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Show lyjULu S w IlSJ On tta White House Conference During the 1907 Panx Washington, June 7 Judge E. II. j Garj, executive head of the United Statos Steel Corporation, was a witness wit-ness again today before the Stanley Steel Trust committee of the House. Mr. Gary was interrogated further by Representative Littleton on the absorption ab-sorption of the Tennessee Coal & Iron company by the Steel corporation. Before tho committee met, Mr Gary was asked If ho had any comment to make on tho report that the government govern-ment hnd determined to review tho findings of the bureau of corporations with regard to the Steol trust on which it was to determine whether or not court proceedings should be instl-; tutod. "I havo read several reports," said Mr Gary, "which are reported to i'o-fleet i'o-fleet administration views, hut I have absolutely nothing to say concerning thera." , Charges, alleged to have heen made bv Senator Oliver of Pennsylvania, that the United States Steel corporation corpora-tion Is endeavoring to get conLrol of water transportation ontlic Ohlb river through absorption of .'the Pittsburg Coal & Coke company and tho Mon-ongaheln Mon-ongaheln river company, wore presented present-ed to the committeo today by Robert C Hall of Pittsburg. Mr Gary, replying reply-ing to questions by Chairmau Stanley. (Continued on Page Eight.) on JUDGE GARY QUESTIONED. Continued from Page One.) denied that the steel corporation had any such plans. Judge Gary today declared that former for-mer President Roosevelt and Ex-Secretary of State Root not only sanctioned sanc-tioned the absorption of the Tennessee Tennes-see Coal & Iron company by the Steel corporation, but held It to be ncces-sarv ncces-sarv to avert a widespread financial disaster. Mr. Gary declared anew that financial finan-cial conditions In 1907 were such that something had to be done to prevent a panic The conference at the White House was the final step In the campaign cam-paign of prevention and he added that, If the administration had declined to permit the combination of the two big steel properties, "he would have on-posed on-posed It in the steel corporation. Tn reopening the lino of questioning in reference to the Tennessee Coal & Iron company, Representative Littleton Little-ton Bought to get from Mr Gary an understanding as to'what phraseology they could agree on to explain the attitude at-titude of President Roosevelt to the transaction, which Mr. Gary and Mr. Frick proposed to him In 1907. "I should sav," said Mr. Gary, "that It was a tacit acaulescence on the part of the President" Mr. Littleton then took up the visit to the White House made by Mr. Gary and Mr Frick. "If President Roosevelt and Mr. Root, then secretary of slate, had objected ob-jected to this transaction," suggested Representative Bartlett of Georgia, "would the United States Steel corporation cor-poration .still have purchased the Tennessee Ten-nessee Coal & Iron company." "I think I surelv would have voted Dgalnst the purchase," replied Mr. Garv. - v "You were at the White House then," Mr. Littleton asked, "seeking the approval of the administration for the proposed acquisition by the Steel corporation of thcTennessee Coal & Iron company's stock?" "That is not quite correctly put," nnswered Mr. Garv. "It Is hardly accurate. ac-curate. We sought to acquaint tho government with all the facts before we proceeded I know perfectly well that Secretary Root had told the President Presi-dent and that the President understood under-stood that he had no right to approve the sale But It seemed clear to me , that if we should purchase the property prop-erty under the perilous conditions In Wall street, as explained to the President, Presi-dent, that there ought not to "be any action on the part of the government to enjoin the transaction." Mr. Gary discussed this situation at length and stated further that It was the unanimous opinion of the Steel corporation directors and the big bankers bank-ers in Now York, including Mr. Morgan, Mor-gan, that the administration's attitude atti-tude toward tho deal should be definitely defin-itely known. "You knew at that time," said Mr. IJttleton, "that the Sherman anti-trust law made it the duty of tho attorney general to bring injunction suits 40 prevent the consummation of business combinations which would amount to a violation of tho law, did you not? You knew that Ihe Sherman "jaw does not give to an injured party tho right to bring proceedings and that the attorney general was the .only sourco from which -such proceedings could emanate?" 'WelL I do not know that I was sufficiently familiar with tho law to 'determine that such was the case," 'Mr. Gary said. , "Well, you felt, did you not," Mr, Littleton persevered: "with the approval ap-proval of tho President and the attorney-general of the taking over by f the Steel company of the Tennessee company, the attorney general being tho only one who " could proceed agalns such a transaction and waiving waiv-ing action under the provisions of the anti-trust, tbcro could be no proceedings proceed-ings in court." "That Is your conclusion," said Mr, Gary, "and 'porhaps it Is not stating tho situation exactly. I felt tnal u der' tiic circumstances' tho Preslrteiu, having, stated to Mr. Frick fyid myself that ho did not feel like, objecting to the deal', and that lie cotild see no reason rea-son for public criticism in that attitude, atti-tude, (that any proceedings In court afterward af-terward would. have, boon unjust." "In other words. said Mr. Littleton, Little-ton, "you were of the opinion that had the nttorney general proceeded, such action would have been an outrage out-rage I believe you usod the word before the commltteo In that connection connec-tion the other day." "I would say," Mr. Gary replied, "that such prosecution of an alleged violation I don't admit It was viola Hon of tho Sherman law at that time would have been most unjust" 00 |