The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-19
Wickersham Files Case Against
the Lumber Combine.
Charges Conspiracy to Maintain
High Prices and Blacklist.
DEFENDANTSAREMANY
Include 10 Trade Organizations
and $50 individuals.
Allegations Conform to Ruling
in Standard Oil Case.

New York. May 19.-Sweeping charges
of a gigantic conspiracy to maintain
high prices, to blacklist concerns not
regarded as "proper" trade and to vio-
late generally the Sherman antitrust
law are made in government SUIT hleo
by Attorney General Wickersham in
the United States court here TO-DAY
against the socalled lumber trust.
Ten trade organizations and more
than $50 individuals are named as de-
PENDANTS in this suit, which may be
the first of several planned by the de-
partment of justice against comblna-
tions of retailers in staple commodities
and the necessaries of life to prevent
the ultimate consumer from buying
anywhere except from local retailers.
The government suit is replete with
ational allegations and 1t 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 against
the eastern states retail LUMBER deal-
ers, association which is the central
hodv of nine local organizations COW
ering five states, the District OF COL
umbia and the cities of Baltimore ana
Philadelphia. a.. 80;
This is the governments first anti
trust suit conforming to the supreme
court's Standard Oil decision In that II
ALLEGES undue and unreasonable" re-
straint Of the trade of the consumer
and the manufacturer. 1t is the evident
purpose of the plea to connne tnS
charge largely to that feature smali
stress being placed on the restraint Oh
trade among the conspirators them
selves.
Attorney General Wickersham and
his special assistant, Clark Mckercher,
have devoted more than year OIL
gathering the evidence on whlcn To-
cludes comics of the alleged agreements,
blacklists and reports of the various
organizations branding wholesalers
and retailers who have dared to vio-
late the rules of the associations as
0noa cbers." mavericks" 'ScalperS'
and ''illegitimate dealers" to Wnom
"short shift" must be applied.
Permanent Injunction Asked.
The government charges in brief
that by an elaborate system OF black
listing not only individual consumers
but some of the largest industrial cor
porations have been prevented from
dealing directly with wholesalers. BY
alleged unlawful agreements and acts
n is charged that all competition for
the trade Of the contractors, the build
ers the manufacturer of finished
lumber products and the individual
consumer has been thrown entirely
into the hands of the retailers in the
eastern States Retail Lumber Dealers
association and its constituent organi-
zatfons The government bill alleges
that in some localities the wholesaler
selling to a consumer has either been
heavily fined or expelled from the or
eanization. Officials of the depart
ment of justice regard the suit as the
most important in principle of any yet
undertaken by the government against
conspiracies said to affect the cost of
living.
hold the governments contention that
1t is a violation of the Sherman anti
trust law to prevent the ultimate con-
sumer from buying direct from the
producer, other suits will be started
against combinations of retailers al
legged to be in control of the market
ing of many of the commodities of life
The defendants named in the suit and
who are alleged to have conspired
among themselves and, with the as
sistance of the National Wholesale
Lumber Dealers association to have
prevented wholesalers from selling d.
rectly or indirectly to consumers are:
The Eastern States Retail Lumber
Dealers association, a new York cor
poration with offices at No. 18 Broad
way; the New York Lumber Trade as
ISOLATION, OF New York city; the Build
ing Material Mems association of West
Chester county, N. Y; the Lumber
Dealers association of Connecticut: the
Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers
association; the Lumber Dealers as
sociation of Rhode Island; the Retail
Lumber Mems association of Baltimore
The officers and directors, trustees and
members of the above are named as in
dfvfdual defendants as well as the Of
ficers and directors and members of
the three following voluntary organiza-
tions:
The New Jersey Lumber Mems Pro-
tective association; the Retail Lumber
mems association of Philadelphia: the
Lumber Exchange of the District OF
Columbia.
The government asks for a perman-
ent injunction restraining the defend
ants from continuing the conspiracy
charge.