The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-20

Credit Agency, Chicago. None of these lis defendant
 'One of the means of accomplishing the | unreasonable restrictions of trade,' says 1 the complaint, "has been the formation of the American Luber Trades congress, which meets periodically and is attended l by officers and delegates from associa- tions of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. At a regular meeting of the congress in Minneapolis In 1908 there was adopted a universal code of ethics, a | part of which reads as follows:
 Code of Ethics
 "'It should be the duty of manufac- turers and wholesalers to take an active interest in the marketing of their prod ucts through regular channels only. :, It is the sense of the conference that the widest possible trade publicity be given for the purpose of making known irresponsible, irregular and interruptions dealers and manufacturers | Another allegation is that names for blacklists have been gathered by indi- vidual members of the association, con centrated at the headquarters of the East ern States Retail Lumber Dealers asso- citation, No IS Broadway, New York city,
 
 titles of statement to members and ''of- icial report.'
 It is alleged that the blacklists have been discussed and approved in the execu- tive sessions.
 At one time, the government claims, the blacklists were published as yes" and "no' lists indlcatings which consumers were proper and which improper trade. As an exhibit is attached one of the mo" lists alleged to have been issued | by the National Wholesale Lumber Deal CTS association, January l. 1902 in which the Carnegie Steel company, Deering Har- vester company, Household Sewing Ma chine company, International Paper com pany. Otis Elevator company, D. M Os- borne company, Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron company. the Pennsylvania Steel company and many others are named as improper" trade. | Another exhibit is a circular alleged to have been Issued by the New Jersey Lumbermens' Protective association in | February, 1904, for the detection of deal CTS selling out of their territory. It is marked "official report 91,'' and reads: Don't hang this up in your offices. l Half of the sales to contractors can be traced to exposing this list. In re- porting irregular shipments, members are requested to supply the number and initial of the car, the name of the consumer to whom consigned, the ini- tials or name of the shipper, date of arrival of the car, place of delivery and point of origin
 Another Is q sample of queries al- legged to have been sent out regarding | prospective customers. It reads: Kindly advise us in strict confidence | for the use of this bureau what you know of the moral standing, financial responsibility and business methods of --. The source of this informa : ton will not be disclosed" | Answer to such queries, the govern ment alleges, have seldom concerned | the financial or business responsibility of the party, but have invariably indi- cated If he were proper or i'm i proper" trade.
 l Another exhibit alleged to have been a circular issued by the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers association black listing many retail lumber deal CTS in large cities, reads:
 l "The following have been reported by the various eastern associations as jobbing or selling directly or indirect | ly to consumers. The members of the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers as- sociation are requested to cooperate | with the eastern associations by re- fusing to sell lumber to them.'
 Still another notice alleged to have been issued by the Eastern States as- 1 sociation in April, 1909, naming black listed manufacturers reads:
 You are reminded that it is be- cause you are members of our associa l. tion and have an interest in common with your fellow members in the in- formation contained in this statement | that they communicate 1t to you in the strictest confidence with the under standing that you are to receive 1t and l ing are reported to have solicited | quoted or sold direct to consumers"
 Have Been Watched
 Chicago, May 1s-The government suit filed in New York today against the Hum Der trust reveals the extent to which the department of justice has investigated Ithe marketing methods of the so-called trust in the middle west during it's search for violations of the antitrust law
 It became known today that for several months secrets agents from Washington have been working in nearly every sta,. west of the Mississippi. taking statements of dealers and taking records of the books of the associations.
 1 Among many western organizations in- vestigated is reported to be the Lumber- mems association of Texas at Houston. Tex.
 | Some of the dealers claim many of the lumber associations, as well as local club exchanges and lime yards, have been under the close scrutiny of government l agents.
 Neither the government officials nor the gents on this particular work admit that the investigations are finished or that they have any idea of what decision the de- partment of justice may make regarding prosecutions.
 Within the last two years prolonged liti- gation against the Nebraska Association | of Retailers was terminated by the su- lpreme court of that state. which held the association was operating in violation of the state antitrust law.
 | Managers of the retail associations maintain that all their operations have been directed by the legal opinions of skilled lawyers. They are prepared to submit streng detense to tine govern nlent's attack.