The Cairo bulletin., 1910-05-25
THE LUMBER TRUST
WickERsHAM AFTER TEN MILL.
ION DOLLAR COMBINE CON.
TROLLING WHITE PINE
rracticai Control Exerted Over Build.
ing Material--May include scan.
dals In the Illinois Leg.
isiature.

\ washington, May "a Attorney
General Wickershain has heepp ar
Investigation into the affairs of Inc
/ lumber trust with a view to institrt
| ing action against the concern undar
the Sherman antitrust law
While the investigation Is directed
against score of concerns engaged
III the lumber industry, the probe is
neing inverted specifically into the
$4,000 ,0O0combine which was enter.
ed into in November 1908 wharabv
IL is alleged the white pine industry
was brought under the dominating
control OF a coterie of lumber men
with headquarters at Chicago.
Frederick Weyerhauser said to he
at the head of the combine, l. credit.
Cd with greater individual wealth
than John D. Rockefeller. With him
IN the concern which is described as
controlling 3,o00,000,O00 feet Of while
pine, are such we'll known lumber
men as T. B. Walker, largest indivjd.
ual owner of standing white pine
timber in the world: Edward Hines
OF the Hines Lumber Company. OIL
Chicago; the Northern Lumber Com.
pany; the Cloquet Lumber Company
and the Johnson Wentworth Lumber
Company
Controls Building Material
The details of this alleged combine
We're laid before the ways and means
committee of the house or renresen.
Iatlve' during the tariff hearing prior
10 the preparation of the Payne.Al.
irich law. 1t was then declared by
witnesses, who urged the facts as a
'eason for taking the duty off lumber
nat the combination not only CON
oiled the key to the white pine sit.
lation, but also had a large voice In
he hemock, yellow, Southern and
festern pine fields, Weyerhauser
lauser himself controlling the supply
Il Mississippi.
One of the facts concerning the
rust that makes the Investigation
at has been started by the attorney.
eneral so important, is that the prin-
pal holding of the trust is made in
sash and doors, interior furnish.
lgs and other high-grade work, 50
lat II the trust be an ascertained
let 1t will be found to have practical
IN its power three-fourths of the
ecessary building material of the
nited States.
1t is feature of the attorney-gen-l
'ai's investigation is aiming at. Il
In Restraint Of Trade. Il
An official statement issued by the d
apartment of justice aid: d
The department of Justice is in q
the subject Of the price W
lumber in the United States. with h
view o determining whether or not Id
e so-calleI lumber trust may be To,
ached by the Sherman antitrust ta
W. on the ground that tits a combi- In;
ltion in restraint of trade" w
there were rumors in Iir
ashington today that the investiga- !
IN now under way may embrace be. h,
re it is concluded, the scandals IN oil
injection with the election of VIII, 90
n j. Lorimer of Illinois as a United ~
ates senator from that state. It be.
3 charged that he money which a.,
inois Legislature confessed to hav-l -,
received in connection with Lori ~
RS election came from the lumber =, .'
st. 'h'
No details of the investigation were
en- out by the department Of JUS
g 1t Is known, however, that ever vi
ce the charge that a trust exists "
: made before the ways and means
Herbert Knox Smith, com =.
'sionaer of corporations in the de.
tment of commerce and labor has -
n busily engaged in making an
austiye investigation of the lum-
industry. This investigation is I
ut concluded, and the report of So
Smith will be present. ma
to congress within a short time Wit