The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-27

rily would not have overtaken them till
far into the next summer. Lumbermen
report that not only are the worms at
work, but the sap in the trees has COM
menced to discolor
The mills are still working with might
and main to cut up as much as possible
of this fallen timber, and a great deal OF
it will yet be saved; but this unexpect-
eddy rapid process of decay will shorten
the time OF such operations, and a great
deal of the timber which 1t was hoped to
save will be too far gone for redemp-
ton by the time the woodcutters reach 1t.
When 1t is understood that this condition
prevails over hundreds of square miles
of territory and millions of acres of tim
Der land, 1t will be understood that while
no single operator may lose relatively
large amount, the aggregate loss will be
far up in the millions of dollars, as the
result of the mild winter.
Lumber Trust Talk.
Recent utterances in Congress relative
to the existence OF giant trust that con-
trolls the output and price of lumber in
the United States, and threats that have
been made by United States senators and
representatives to institute am inquiry
into the same, have no other effect than
TO provoke a smile of derislon the
of this section.
All this same subject has but recently
been thrashed over here in Mississippi
by diligent committee of the state leg
islature and the lumbermen are familiar
with the entire process from the time
when some tight wad at Podunk corners
finds himself compelled to pay n trifle
more for his chicken house covering than
he paid ten years ago complains to his
congressman or state representative and
brings on an investigation that results
only in the discovery that of all the large
industries carried on in America the lum-
Der industry Is the one which bears no
faint of monopoly and which, in its very
nature, is unsusceptble of monopolistic
organization
When the cry of a lumber trust was
raised in Mississippi couple of years
ago il grew out of the fact that con-
tractors and builders in the agricultural
parts of the state found that they We're
compelled to pay more for their material
than they had paid in former years They
forgot that values of commodities OF ev-
cry kind had been rising.
They failed to observe that whereas
in former years the lumber manufacture
ers were able to get their stumpage for
81 to 81 per acre-today they must pay
! from S35 to $50 per acre; and that where
as in the halcyon days of yore the lum-
herman could hire his labor at SIPS for
, twelve hours a day now he must pay as
high as $3.50 for ten hours work, and
mighty inferior work at that
Takes Up Cry.
But the state legislature took up the
cry, and an investigating committee was
appointed. Persons engaged in the lum-
Der trade, in its every branch and ram
ifcaton. were introduced to give testi-
! mony as to the lumber trust. The
charges were originally directed against
the lumber manufacturers and repre-
sentatves of such big firms as the ]. J.,
Newman Lumber company, the Goodyear
syndicate. Eastman Gardner of Laurel,
Camp e. Hinton of Lumberton and others
We're prompt to respond to the summons
to testify.
And when it was all over the investi-
eating committee which in its personnel
was believed to be adverse to the lum-
bermen. was compelled to come out with
a report to the effect that it could find
no suspicion of any agreement among the
manufacturers touching either the guam
tity of the output or the regulation of the
market quotations.; and the only matter
that they could find to warrant the least
criticism was in the nature of an agree
ment among some Of the retail lumber
firms in the northern part of the state
designed to prevent wholesalers from
selling direct to the consumers such an
agreement as is not uncommon or Illicit
in other lines of commerce
Combination Is Denied.
So far as this part of the country is
concerned conditions have not changed
since the report of the Mississippi investi-
eating committee was laid before the
world. The lumber manufacturers here
abouts are not n party TO any combina-
| ton other than the well known and pub
lie associations of the trade. such as the
Mississippi Lumbermen's association and
, the Yellow Pine association. whose opera
| lions are all public and above board. and
whose main purpose in existence Is not
to regulate or control output or prices.
but TO furnish information to the mem
bers as to the prevailing market condi-
tons. so that each member may govern
himself accordingly. 1t is plain that
these two distinct functions could not
logically exist in the same organization:
for If the association was engaged in the
illicit business of fixing market prices 1t
would be wasting its time in advising its
| members as to the prices prevailing,
when the members themselves, through
their organization fixed prices.
The lumbermen are not caring whether
or not investigation of the alleged trust
shall be made by Congress, except as
such investigation may by its mere sug-
gestion cast an asperson upon a legiti-
mate anu loitSi iiiobSNiSs anu Wv 6AN ihF
of testimony may take the mill men
! away from work OF much greater value
to the country.
Bio Hoo-Hoo Concentration.
| The annual meeting of the Lumber
! nens association, which was held here
on January 10, did not have an attendance
large enough to warrant those present
in proceeding with the election of officers
for the year. President F. j Wilder of
Epps and Secretary w. c. Rodgers Of