The copper era., 1911-10-06
FEAR TARIFF REFORM
REAL CAUSE OF AGITATION OF
 THE BIG TRUSTS.
See in the Near Future an Ending of Their Extortion Made Possible by the Payne-Aldrich Tariff
 Law.

What is known as the Lumber trust combination covering almost the en- tire country where forests have not yet disappeared, occupied contrasted positions in the national capital few days ago While the representatives
 of this particular one of the ''conspira- cies in restraint of trade" were plead ing before the Committee on Finance against reciprocity with Canada, the
 government, by Attorney General Wfckersham, brought suit against it for violating the Sherman Antitrust law. In the sweeping bill presented by the attorney general to the United States court not less than ten corpor- ations and their official directors and managers are accused of offenses in restraint of trade in one of the great staple products of the land.
 Formidable as in this judicial dem- onstration on paper and sincere as is the purpose of the government, need 1t be said that the reciprocity bill pro viding for free trade in lumber with Canada gives this combination far more concern? Fresh evidence\of this has been given almost daily before the T son, manager of the National Lumber association. of Chicago, appeared again before the committee with a silly story that he had been told by somebody that ex-President Roosevelt and ex-Senator Pinchot are behind the lumber interests in their 'conserva- tion" policy. Other representative and lobbymen of the Lumber trust have been prowling around Washing ton ever since the special session be- gan. With one and all in buttonholing senators and members the pleat is that the free admission of lumber from Canada will ruin" not merely the lum- bre interests, but the paper manufac- turers of this country.
 Whilst the American people doubt less cheerfully concede to President Taft and his administration the best intentions in prosecuting the Lumber trust. along with like conspiracies in restraint of trade, 1t may take seV- eral years before a final decision is reached. Even then 1t is by no means certain that the Supreme court should find that the acts of this combination are in unreasonable" restraint of trade. On the other hand, recoprocity will at once open the vast forests of Canada, extending to Hudson bay, to the lumber consumers of the United States. Free trade in Canadian -lum- Der, not the government prosecutions. is what is causing the visible anxiety of the trust and its agents who are haunting the Committee of Finance.
 What Is true of the Lumber trust is true also of the other great combina- tions in restraint of trade that are filling their coffers with the spells of the American people under favoritism of the Payne-Aldrich tariff. While the government prosecutions already begun or threatened give them con- paratively little concern, they regard as fatal to their conspiracies to main tain prices against American consum- CTS the withdrawal of the prop that supports them But in the hatred of these combinations engendered in the in the sensational spectacle of govern ment prosecutions and Is thus with drawn in great degree from the home ly and effective means of dealing with them in substantial revision of the tariff While the trusts will not make much open complaint against these prosecutions, there will be no bounds to their rage against a re- duction of the protective duties that now foster them.