New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-27
BUNDLE WOOD TRUST NOW
Government About to Proceed IN
Prosecuting Forty Defendants.
IN IRONCLAD COMBINATION
Absolute Control of Kindhng
Wood Supply of Poor SAID
To Be Almost Perfect.

Forty defendants. including corpora
tions. firms and individuals, will be pro
ceeded against in the prosecution by the
federal government of the bundle, or
lindling wood, trust. with its control OF :
business of moro than s25.ooo,o0e year
In the New England States. New York
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The IN
vestisa+ m It WIS said YESTERDAY by an
official INJECTED with the Department or
Justice. mas been completed.
It was about three weeks ago when the
delving was begun before the federai
grand jury, as was told exclusively II
The Tribune at the time At that time
George T. Whyte, secretary of the stand
ard Wood Company and an official in other
allies companies. was summoned before the
jury to give information and furnish BOOKS
necessary for a searching investigation.
From that time until this week the work
Of unravelling the growth of one of the
most thoroughly organized businesses in
the East has been going on
KindIing wood is a commodity peculiar
" necessary to persons living in the most
congested sections of large cities. Fiji
teen years sago there were numerous
sources of supply for the many dealers on
the East Side in Manhattan, and in the
slums Of Philadelphia, Boston and other
places where persons of very limited
means are numerous. About that time the
Standard Wood Company was organized,
with a capital of s1,500.000.
The demand for kindling wood fifteen
years ago was for tens of millions OF
bundles a year. The supply was largely
local and there was much competition.
The demand has grown tremendously. The
o. Ii.
nate this competition. and corporations
like the Diamond Match Company. with
its SIS, 100000 Of capital, were gradually
drawn into agreements of an ironClad nat
ure. The government has the agreements
and all the documentary evidence neces-
sary for the prosecution.
In connection with the acquisition of COM
petitive concerns the Standard Wood Com
machinery used in the cutting. asserting
and bundle tying of the wood The Blais-
dell Machine Company, of Bradford, Penn,
was the controlling factor in that i'm
portant end of the business This company
was in the hands of the Blaisdell family
of which Joseph W. Blaisdell is the head
He is the president of the Standard Wood
Company
Company was used in the purchase of COM
petitors. In the last ten years so profitable
has the business been that the company
has been able to redeem its stock, thus
paying fer all its acquired plants in cash.
In addition, ii has been able TO bear the
expense of the esta Adjustment of new plants
in the new lumber districts, as this was
necessary on the exhaustion of the old
There has also been a large fire loss, which
the company has been able TO weather sue
Cessfully, plants being most liable TO de-
struction by fire because Of their in
fammable character.
1t was said yesterday that the Standard
Wood Company's methods of control were
Of remarkable thoroughness. It had access
to the books of every subsidiary company
controlled the sales throughout it's great
territory absolutely. and the assembling of
the wood In the big factories was directly
under its supervision.
The proceedings against the kindling
wood trust may have their beginning in
Washington. The results of the investiga-
ton viii be considered there, and the kind
of action to be taken there determined
upon.