Ripley County democrat., 1911-08-11
MEAN TO END ABUSE
PrRATicAL COMBINATIONS HAVE
TIRED PATIENCE OF PEOPLE.
Raper and Lumber Trusts Have Long
Been Conspicuous for Their Grasp
Ing ProelIvitIss--Rsport Of Com
missioner Of Corporations.

There In a relationship between the
paper trust and the lumber trust. The
lumber trust is the most conspicuous
OF the selfish interests fighting the
Canadian reciprocity treaty. The.
American people believe In me proteo-
tive tariff, but not In the abuses ofi
the protective tarin-the excrescences
and abnormallties. which are not pro
tective 10 the sense Of safeguarding
the general interest, but which on
the contrary permit swollen combina-
tions Of capital to gouge the people
by contrivlng artificial conditions
which create monopoly and enable
INSCRIPTIONS manipulators to exact
extortioaate prices.
1t is not the protective tariff. but
an abuse of the protective tariif. which
Is responsible for the lumber combine
and that spoiled child OF the lumber
combine. the paper trust. Here are
conclusions presented in report by
the commissioner OF corporations.
Herbert Knox Smith;
In the last forty years combination
has 80 proceeded that 1876 holders.
many interrelated, now have prae-
tically one-half Of the privately owned
timber In the investigation area
(which contains 80 per cent OF the
whole). This formidable process Of,
concentration In timber and land GER
tainly involves grave future possibii-
tiles Of impregnable moDo2olistio con-
ditions. whose far-reachlug coDse-
Quences TO society II Ia now difficult
TO anticipate freely, or oven to estL
mate" '
The report Of tho commissioner OF
corporations reviews the recent his
tory Of combinations in the lumber,
industry and remarks:
Such concentration In standing
timber, II permitted to combine and
Increase. makes proable hnal csn-
tral control OF the whole lamhsr in,
dustry. A few stnonE Interests ultt,
mateiy holding tho bulk OF the timber
can set the price Of timber and lts
products, The manager Of the Ma,
tional Lumber Manufacturers sssocia-
tion recently said TO lumbermen ON
the Pacific coast: The day OF cheap
lumber Is passing and soon will be
gone. but the men who make the
money will be those who own timber
and can hold It until the supply In
other parts Of the country Il gone.
Then they can ask and get their own
price,"
Is this q consummation which the
American people will permit VIII
they look kindly upon the mainten-
ance Of artificial conditions to prevent
competition and wiring from them ex-
tortionate pi Ices for commodity
whose preparation for the market
needs no skilled laborf The Taft nd.
ministrat!on is proceeding In two
ways to beat this game. 1t has insti-
tutsd suits under tn, Sherman law
to call the consolidated lumber inter-
-ests to account 70. organizing COM
binations In restraint OF trade. and Il
is pushing the Canadian reciprocity
agreement In the forests OF Canada
there are unmeasured billions Of feet
Of lumber. stores sufficient to supply
the world for generations to come.
Why should not the people OF the
United States who are purchasers Of
lumber have the benefit of free access
TO the Canadian supply! The recipro-
cal trade agreement with Canada for
which President Taft 10 contendlng
would cut OF the s1.50 tariff which
now confers an inequitable advantage
upon the lumber trust Of the United
States. and would 60 far to check the
denudation Of American forests.