The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-04-11
may INQUIRE into
THE LUMBER TRUST
This Possibility Due to Lori
mer Scandal, Philadel-
phia Paper Says.

Philadelphia, April IL According
to Washington dispatch TO the North
American, investigation OF the lumber
trust by "A federal grand jury VIII De
started whiting the next Two or three
weeks. Every effort has been eAerted
by the department of justice TO Keep
the plans Of the government secret.
Enough has been learned from oth-
or sources, however says the DIS
patch. TO afford substantial basis for
the assertion that the evidence al
ready collected is deemed sufricient
for presentation To grand jury win
n Wow 10 criminal proceedings against
the corporations and individuals who
compose the combinations generally
designated as the lumber trust.
Hines Activity the Cause.
"The great lumber interests OF the
country have recently been brought
into additional public disfavor as
among the chief supporters of Sena-
tor william Lorimer, through the &C
tivity in behalf of Mr.. Lorimer of Ed
ward Hines, millionaire lumberman oil
Chicago, who has represented the lum-
Der interests generally In Washington
Hines recently appeared before the
ways and means committee OF the
house and the finance committee or
the senate in opposition to Canadian
reciprocity because of the damage ne
insisted would be done the lumber in
tercsts. Before that he had called up
on the President to protest against the
notoriety which was being given the
lumber combinations by the investiga.
ton into their affairs made by the
commissioners OF corporations.
"Mr. Hines, 1t Is reported, urged the
President to make public all the in
formation obtained by the commits
sioner OF corporations, asserting II
would not show the existence of IA
lumber trust, because none existed,
and that IL would therefore, tend to
stop what Mr.. Hines declared was
harmful misrepresentation of the
men and corporations engaged in the
lumber business.
Bearing on lorimer Case.
soon after this, the bureau of cor
porations published IA bulletin on the
private ownership of timber lands,
which. so far from dispelling the sus-
picion that there Is a lumber trust.
presented information which clearly
indicated the existence of such com
bination. Necessarily the prospective
investigation OF the trust has no rela-
ton whatever to the Lorimer case,
and yet Il also obvious that each has
n bearing upon the other.
Hines efforts to elect l.orimer
were first enlisted when, according
to his own testimony, he was urged
by Senators Aldrich and Penrose to
do what he could to break the dead
lock In the Illinois legislature, i'm order
that another vote could be obtained
for the Aldrich tariff bill and the high
rates Of duty on lumber which Hines
deman ded for the lumber interests.
Hines and the lumber trust wanted
protection. Aldrich and Penrose de-
clared an additional vote for the Al
drich bill would accomplish most in
obtaining for them the tariff rates
they wanted. ..
The North American then comments
on the coincidental activity or lum
Der trust heads and the Lorimer eX
posurcs.
Control Of Timber Supply.
"Thc only information made public
by the government bearing upon the
subject Is that contained in the report
Of the commissioner of corporations
upon the ownership of the timber sup
ply of the country" continues the dis
patch.
This report shows that, while for
~ years ago at least three fourths OF
the timber supply was owned by the
government. now fourfifths of II is
privately owned. II passed from the
control OF the government chiefly