Omaha daily bee., 1911-10-25
SUIT AGAINST LUMBER TRUST
United States Files Fifth Bill in
Court at st. Paul.
DETECTIVE AGENCY IS INCLUDED
It's Members Are Charged with Spy
ing on Independents and re-
porting DOings to Secre-
taries' Association.


ST. PAUL. oct. 24.-The governments
fifth suit in its fight TO break UP the
so-caled Lumber trust was begun in the
United States court here today.
1t is directed against the following:
The Northwestern Lumberman's asso-
citation, the Lumber Secretaries Bureau
Of Information. an illinois corporation,
already under fire in another suit against
the trust" brought in Colorado: Luke
W. Boyce, owner of a private agency at
Minneapolis, MINI, who 10 charged with
spying on independent lumber dealers
who are said to have violated the trade
ethics" laid down by the alleged trust;
the Lumberman Publishing company.
a Minnesota corporation which issues the
Mississippi Valley Lumberman. trade
journal which the government charges
has been the organ of the trust" in that
section.
Platt b. Walker Of Minneapolis. editor
of the paper, IL made u defendant, as
are the following. as being members. Of
ficers or directors in the Northwestern
Lumberman's association:
/ w. r. Wood, Parker, s. D.; Charles
/ Webster, Waucoma, Ia; willard G. Hol-
| lis, Minneapolis, Mimi; George f.
Thompson, Minneapolis; c. M Porter,
Oskaloosa, Ia; E. @. Finn. Minneapolis
o. M Botsford, Winona, MINI; w. H.
Day, jr., Dubuque. Ia; NJ. T. Mcmahon,
Fergus Falls, MINI; c. A. Finkbine, Des
Moines, Ia, and John w. Barry, Cedar
Rapids, Ia.
rs in similar suits now pending against
tina Eastern States Retail Lumber Deal
ers' association the Michigan Retail Lum-
her Dealers association, the Colorado &
wyoming Lumber Dealers association
and the Lumber Secretaries Bureau OF
Information, fourteen members of the
latter organization being under criminal
indictments charging violations of the
sherman antitrust Law, the government
alleges that the lumber trade has been
unreasonably restrained by Illegal agree
rnents and understandings which prevent
the consumer from buying OF whom and
where he Wills; which absolutely forbid
competition for trade, and which have
divided the country into noh-compettlve
territories. II Is also alleged that names
OF lumbermen who have violated the
ethics" have been published TO the trade
In tho Mississippi Valley Lumberman.
Allegations in Bill.
The bill alleges many acts in pursuance
OF an alleged conspiracy covering severa
years, and that some Of them were per
lpetrated and In form that ceased severa
years ago, but each act is alleged TO have
been part of q carefully devised plan BY
which first one. restriction and then an
other was fastened on the lumber trade
and when once fixed was to all appear
ances abandoned and substituted with one
less iniquitous.
The theory OF the bill Is that while nc
one OF the separate acts performed nov
might be taken as Violation OF a Law
when considered alone, they are only q
part OF a general plan, and by the al
legged continuing conspiracy an appar
emily harmless act Is now directly con
tributory to the original scheme Of re
strietion and oppression Of which the gov
ernment complains.
The bill relates in great detail the gov
ernment's allegation that dealers who in
sisted on selling to whomever the!
pleased were constantly under the sur
veillance of the defendant Boyce and hi
detectives, who reported all regular busi
ness to their employers, the Northwestern
Lumbermen's association; that the re
ports Of such espionage were sent 10 tn
lumber secretaries bureau OF informa
; ton, through which they were sent L
the twenty or more territorial organiza
lions Of the so-called trust in addition 4
: being published in the Mississippi Vale
Lumberman.
} The government seeks injunctions re
/ strslning all the defendants from contin
! uing the acts OF which complaint is made
; The suit is in direct charge Of Clark Nc
l Kereher, special assistant to Attorne
General Wickersham.