Ogden Daily Standard | 1917-03-09 | Page 1 | U. S. Steel Suit in High Court

D. S. STEEL SUIT IN HIGH COURT Array of Counsel for Both Sides Appear in the Hearings. Washington, March 9 Hearings of the government's suit to dissolve the I'nited States Steel Corporction were bepun todav by the supreme courr. An array of counsel for both sides appeared ap-peared in the hearings, which are expected ex-pected to last until the middle of next week. Federal attorneys opened the arguments, argu-ments, the government having appeal ed from dismissal by the New Jersey federal district court of its suit, which was b.egun in 1911 in President Taft'a administration The principal idea of the prosecution prosecu-tion is domination by the corporation in the iron and steel industry. It is said to furnish more than one half of the national production and to control prices. By its formation In 1901, the government alleges competition was illegally il-legally stifled. The defense is that, the combination has actually operated beneficially, has not oppressed competitors nor the public pub-lic and it not illegal merely because of its size and combined assets. In the lower court, the government's suit was dismissed because, although the court found that the corporation was organized with intent to restrain trade and had actually done so. it was without power to alone fix and maintain main-tain prices and was not, therefore, a monopol.