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More likely, however, the final decision will be made by the U.S. Justice Department, whose antitrust division is apt to take a dim view of a Sinclair-At-lantic Richfield merger. Seldom in recent years has the department given its blessing to "horizontal" mergers—those between competitors—and there is no reason to believe that it is ready to soften its position. For that matter, Government trustbusters have lately been having doubts about conglomerate-style mergers involving companies in different fields. They could conceivably oppose even the proposed union between Sinclair and Gulf & Western.