The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1911-06-16
SUIT
IS INTERESTING
PACKAGE OF LETTERS THROWS
LIGHT ON THE TRADE
AGREEMENT MAINTAINED.
lumbermen's Association Did Not
Include Penalties in the const-
tuition and Bylaws Of Or
ganization.

letters which passed between John
A. Gorsuch, secretary of Southwest
ern Lumbermen's Association and
Carl A. Drake, formerly secretary Of
the Texas Lumbermen's Association,
and which were confiscated from
brakes office wien he recently left
Austin, Texas, put vigor into the
states custer suit against the alleged
lumber monopoly when they We're in
trodueed here today. Mr. Gorsuch
on the witness stand admitted the
letters were genuine.
The state contends the letters
which were real, prove:
"That fourteen lumbermen's asso-
Citations embracing practically the
whole of the forest area of the United
States maintained an information
bureau" which kept it's members ad-
vised upon what manufacturers sold
direct to the consumer.
That manufacturers who sold to
retailers that failed to keep their as
sociation obligations were black
listed.
That the members of the various
associations had agreements to not
invade one anothers territory.
That Mr. Gorsuch was fearful lest
the workings of the information bu-
reau'' violate the anti-trust laws.
That the Southwestern Lumber
mems Association refraineI from
putting in its bylaws and constitu-
tion penalties for dealers who failed
to keep their membership obligations
because 1t was feared the organiza-
tion might be brought into conflict
with the antitrust laws.
1t would appear from letter
Drake wrote Gorsuch on May 4. 1908,
that Gorsuch had warned him to be
cautious. Drake said in part
Il am in receipt of your letter 0:
the first. | do not think there is
anything in our antitrust laws that
is going to affect the workings of the
bureau of information am much
more interested in the result of the
international workings that scared
of any particular danger that mas
arise to us. For more than four
years | have been able to keep out
of the penitentiary through gooi luck
and political influence and | feel that
am getting most too old TO change
my abode and am keeping up my
political connections.
Il have sent copy of the contsi-
tuition and bylaws as you heard
them read in Galveston, together
with a copy of the antitrust law to
Hollis for the opinion of the attor-
ney in chief"
Drake did not leave Texas on ac-
count of any trouble with the state
over his connection with the lumber
business. After he departed the at
torney general of Texas ransacke
brakes office, found the letters and
forwarded them to John NJ. Atkinson,
attorney general of Missouri who Is
conducting the lumber prosecution.
In a letter referring to tae failure
of the Southwestern LhmDermen's
Association to include penalties in lis
by-laws, Gorsuch in letter to Drake
on May Is, 1908. said
"a number of our members have
asked me what we propose to do
since we wiped out all the penalties
and obligations, ami | have answered
all of them that every dealer in lum-
ber who is member of the assocla-
tion has been in business Ions
enough to know just what the object
of the association is and tlat VIC
propose to protect our members II
the same old way as we have beer
doing and that 1t is not necessary
to put it down in black and white II
our constitution and bylaws. hav'
found them all satisfied with th'
change and feel a great deal free
since we have wiped out all sem
blance Of anything that might b.
construed by a prejudiced judge a
in conflict with the antitrust law
of our several states"
| Gorsuch,, in other letters, men
| toned several specific cases waer
marufactufers had sold lumber 7
lreteilers who ra;ied to keep thei