Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-05-19
W|CKERSHAM
AFTER TRUST
Charges Gigantic Conspiracy
to Maintain High Prices
of Lumber
MANY CONCERNS BLACKL|sTEO
Combinations That Defy Sher-
man Law Are Having Squal-
ly Weather.

man Law Are I1dVlnH Oqudl-
ly Weather.
(By Special Leased Wire to New Mexican)
New York, May 19.- Sweeping
charges of a gigantic conspiracy to
maintain high prices, to blacklist con-
Germs not regarded as proper to the
trade, and to violate generally the
Sherman antitrust law, are made in
government suit filed by Attorney
General Wickersham in the United
States court here today against the
so-called lumber trust.
Good Evidence Gathered.
New York, May 19-This is the gov
ernment's first antitrust suit conform
ing to the supreme court Standard Oil
decision In that it alleges undue" and
unreasonable" restraint of the trade
of the consumer and the manufac.
turer.
1t is the evident purpose of the plea
to confine the charge largely to that
feature, small stress being placed on
the restraint OF trade among the con-
spirators themselves.
Attorney General >Wfckersham and
Special Assistapt McKerchem have
devoted more than a year gathering
evidence On which today's suit is
based
Tffis evidence includes copies of the
lalleged agreements, blacklists, and re-
ports of the various organizations
branding wholesalers and retailers,
/ who have dared to violate the rules
of the associations as "poachers, !"
mavericks" "scalpers" and 'illegiti-
mate Dealers" to whom short shrift"
must be applied.
/ Retailers to Be Prosecuted.
| New York, N Y, May 19.-Ten
| trade organizations and more than $50
! individuals are named as defendants
in this suit, which may be the first
of several planned by the department
OF justice against combinations of re-
tailers in staple commodities and the
necessaries of life to prevent the ulti-
mate consumer from buying anywhere
except from local retailers.
/ The government suit is replete with
sensational allegations and it is as
serted that builders and consumers of
lumber the country over are at the
mercy of the retailers organizations
in different sections of the United
States.
The suit filed today is the central
body of nine local organizations COW
ering five states, the district of column
bia and the cities of Baltimore and
Philadelphia.
Important Suit.
! New York, N. Y, May 19.-The gov
ernment charges in it's brief that by
an elaborate system of blacklisting,
not only individual consumers but
some of the largest industrial corpor.
ations have been prevented from deal
ling directly with wholesalers. BY al
legged unlawful agreements and acts
it is charged that all competition for
the trade of the contractor, the build
ers, the manufacturer of finished lum
!; ber products and the individual con
sumer has been thrown directly into
i the hands of the retailers in the assO
J citation and it's constituent organiza
} tions.
i The government alleges that in
} some localities the wholesaler selline
to consumer has either been heavily
fined or expelled from the organiza
ton.
1t is believed that should the courts
uphold the governments intention
!. that it Is violation of the Sherman
antitrust law to prevent the ultimate
consumer from buying direct from thu
producer, other suits will be started
against combinations of retailers. al
: legged to be in control Of the marke,
: irg of many of the commodities of life
1 Baltimore Denies II.
! Baltimore, Md, May 19.-The Retail
: Lumberman's Association of Baltimor
8 named in the governments suit, file
in New York today, is composed o
practically all the local retail. dea
|. ers in that trade and Is a member O
t the Eastern States Lumber Dealer
e Association. Its secretary, George H
9 IPoehlman, made a sweeping denial q
y the governments charge SO far as tn
e Baltimore dealers were concerned.
81 Couldn't Believe II.
Il Philadelphia, May 19.-William f
It Mcbride, president OF the Lun
r bermens Exchange of this city, an
) also head of the Retail Lumbermen'
l. Association of Philadelphia, refuse
to believe this afternoon that tn
e government had entered suit in Ne,
York against the Eastern States r,
e tail Lumber Dealers Association
charging 1t with restraint Of trade i
It; violation of the Sherman anti-trut
law Practically every retail fri
e in the city belongs to this association
1t seems impossible for me to beliey
It that the government makes such ser
GUS and ridiculous allegations"
/, said.
L. ----.------- Az
i. jALsERT CLANCY INJURED