New-York tribune., 1911-09-01
GOVERNMENT CONTINUES
LUMBER TRUST ATTACK
Suit Begun in Detroit Against
Associations of Michigan
Dealers.
CONSPIRACY THE CHARGE
Restraint of Trade and Blacklist
ing Alleged--Wickersham's
Crusade Extending from
Coast to Coast.

Detroit. Aug 3l-Frank II. Watson
United States Attorney for the District OF
Michigan. filed a bill in the Federal circuit
Court here to-day asking that the Mich-
iean Retail Lumber Dealers Association
the Scout Publishing Company. OF TINS
city. and the Lumber Secretaries Bureau
of Information Of Chicago be enjoined
from continuing their alleged unlawfui
business methods.
II is charged that members OF the Re-
talers' Association endeavor TO prohioit
manufacturers or jobbers from shipping to
competitors who are not members or the
organization manufacturer shipping 70
competing dealers is subject to hne OF
10 per cent Of the value or the sale. IL is
charged. and II the manufacturer refuses
10 pay the penalty the member Is subject
TO expulsion from the association.
The Scout Publishing Company Issues
The Scout" lumber trade paper. 1t Is
charged that editorials have been published
advocating that the retailers deal only
with manufacturers or jobbers who obey
the rules Of the retailers organization.
The government also asserts that The
Scout" published the names OF the snip
pers who engaged in interstate commerce
and trade in A manner alleged to be In
violation of the rules Of the Retail Deal
ers Association. thereby answering all
purposes of a blacklist for the defendant
organization"
When manufacturer or 1oboer faileo 10
obey the rules of the defendant organza-
ton, it is alleged. the secretary OF the as
sociation would complain TO the Lumber
Secretaries Bureau Of Information. ana
the latter would give notice TO the lumber
dealer' associations throughout the United
Stats. all of which the government holds
to he I'm restraint OF trade. The Secre-
taries Bureau Of Information is also said
10 have kept The Scout informed Of vio-
lations Of the rules OF the retail dealers.
According to the governments bill, the
organized retailers do not object TO the
shipment Of lumber TO railroads or trans
portation companies. or for sash, doors ano
blinds to hardware merchants who might
keep a regular stock Of such goods, provif-
ing the material is sold I'm not less than
carload lots The class Of competitors said
10 be most specifically opposed are mail
order houses and farmers cooperative ST.
cieties.
i he government tIip ic4'''''o -
divIdual defendants in the suit Edward f.
Hartwick, of Detroit president OF the
Michigan Retail Lumber Dealers Associa-
ton; Arthur l.. Holmes, OF Detroit. vice-pres-
ident of the Retailers Association, member
Of the Lumber Secretaries Bureau or In
formation and publisher of The Scout
George p Sweet, of Grand Rapids secre-
tarv and treasurer Of the Retailers Asso-
citation and member Of the Lumber Secre-
taries' Association; j. j. Comerford, of De-
troit; A. ]. Kraft. Of Battle Creek; II. W.
Rikerd. of Lansing John Wood. of Grand
RAPIDS: +. d. jerks, of Port Huron. and
&. A. Pollock, of Coldwater, directors OF
the retailers organization.
Washington, Aug. 3l.-The suit begun in
Detroit to-day Is one Of several In the cam
paign which the Department OF Justice Is
conducting against the so-called LUMBER
Trust. one suit against the Eastern states
Retail Lumber Dealers Association Is al
ready under way in New York. and four-
teen secretaries of various ASSOCIATIONS
throughout the Middle West have been In
dicted. 1t Is alleged that the government
fight against alleged restraints and terri
tor,al restrictions of the lumber trade VIII
reach from coast TO coast.
Attorney General Wickersham has peeh
nersonally directing the work. which mas
been I'm charge of his special assistant
Clark McKercher Frank n. Watson,
United States Attorney at Detroit, went
ont Of office to-day, the fling of the lum-
Der bill being one of his last ofncial ac's'
| He will be retained by the government as
special counsel in the case.