The Cairo bulletin., 1911-05-24
LUMBER TRUST
SEvER[Y PRObED
cZARL,kE CONTROL OF .BUSI.
NESS BY COMMITTEES NAM
r. FOR PURPOSE.
FIXED THE PRICE LIST
Output Limited 20 Mountain Prices
Secretary Of Yellow Pine Manu-
facturers Gave Damaging
Evidence.

facturers Gave Damaging
Evidence.
ST. Louis, May 30 Much question,
ing by Assistant Attorney General
John NJ. Atkinson brought several i'm.
portant admissions yesterday from
George X. Smith, secretary Of the Vel
low Pine Manufacturers Association
charged by the State of Missouri with
being trust. Smith admitted the as
soeiation, then known as the Southern
Lumber Manufacturers Association,
met at the Hoo-Hoo Buihting at the
worlds fair in 1914, and that on me
recommendation of the price LIST
Comitteo" Of the association recon-
mended that all saw mills curtail their
output until the supply on hand was
reduced He also admitted that tables
of prices were sent out by the com
mittee, and that a resolution had been
passed by the association directing
that lists of all the retail and whole
sale lumber dealers and manufactur.
crs in the Manufacturers Association
ana its then affiliated Lumber Secre-
taries' Bureau Of Information, be in
terchanged He refused to admit that
the purport of the resolution was an
agreement 10 sell and buy only within
the membership Of the two associd.
tions.
Smith Witness Entire Day.
Atkinson kept Smith on the stand
al morning and afternoon yesterday,
and will question him further this
morning He will also examine today
S. II. Fullerton, president of the Chi
cago Lumber and Coal Company, w.
G Hollis, Of Minneapolis, secretary OF
the Lumber Secretaries Bureau of In
formation, and probably one or two
other witnesses. He expects the hear
ings to continue for several days. Tes.
timony win then be taken in Kansas
City and probably in Chicago.
The examination of Smith was in
terruptei by frequent objections on
the part Of counsel for The defense
and Smith objected to several que9
tions himself.
After much questioning Atkinson es
tablished that at a meeting of the
Joint Trades Relations Committee OF
October 26, 1894. a resolution recon
mending the exchange of lists of mem
bership between the affiliated manu-
facturers and retailers associations
was adopted. That resolution refers
TO one adopted in Chicago on Decem
Der Il. 1893, by the &ational Lumbe
Manufacturers Association and thc
Lumber Secretaries Bureau Of Infor
alton It was agreed, according to th,
resolution, to proceed with the plal
recommended SO far as it affected th'
members of the Southern Lumbel
Manufacturers Association and tn,
Luber Secretaries Bureau of Informa
ton. A committee of three from eacl
body was authorized to put the plal
in operation. 1t also stated that tn
Chicago recommendation was re
affirmed in substance.
Smith stated the plan was droppe,
when the Northern Pine Association
refused TO indorse it. These two resC
lutons were introduced in evidenc
by reading them from the report 0
the preliminary hearings conducts
by Gov. Hadley when he instituted tn
suit as Encouragement in 1907.
Smith testified the Yellow Pine AS
sociation came into existence in 1906
when the name was changed fror
Southern Luber Manufacturers Assc
cation, which was organized in 1896
When the name was changed the cor
stitution and bylaws were amended
he said. One of these amendment
provide for the appointment of Price
List Committee.
Asked as to the duty of this commi
tee, he said that according to tn
amendment It was ito ascertain quota
tions and market prices of yellow pin
lumber, conditions of supply and dt
mand, and cause the facts to be di'
seminated among the members" Th
committee, he said, ct at interval,
considered prices and amended tn
price list.
did you ever know the committe
to reduce prices?" Atkinson aske
him, Scarritt and Sager immediatel
objected, but were overruled.
Smith replied he recalled one II