Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-20

frain from selling or in any way fur
nishing lumber to wholesale firms or in
dividuals not members of their associa-
ton. or who are known TO transact their
business contrary to the joint agreements
between the National Wholesale Lumber
Dealers Association and the various re-
tall associations
Pendenns White of Buffalo, y. V, now
dead: Carlton NJ. Smith of Tonawanda.
n. Y: John N Scatcherd of Buffalo. n.
Y: r. r. Babcock of Ffttsburg. T.. III.
Coane of Philadelphia and r. 3. WHEELER
Of Philadelphia, are named as members
of the wholesalers committee which APP
proved that action.
Convention In Washington.
In March. 1906. the government recites.
there was a convention of wholesalers in
Washington. at which. il Is alleged. a
report was presented. the following por-
ton of which is quoted in the complaint:
I'VE are all IN favor of high prices and
fixed high prices. We should fix the
status OF a poacher "a retailer who com
peted for business in the territory of an
be with the scalper Ia retailer who sells
at wholesale prices and the llegitimate
dealer. wherever he may be found.
The narrowness of such a view will be
pointed out and the most mean and
acrimonious cry against it will come from
fhe operator who is selling wherever ne
can and TO whoever he pleases. seem
ingly without reason and always with
out care as to custom or channel for dis
tribution. He is a maverick. roaming at
will over our land. drinking of the clear
est stream and feeding in the hest pas
lures. He must be caught and branded
No ssooiation should permit him men,
berShiD and no individual should at any
time or under any condition permit trad
ing with him. neither buying nor selling.
and. simple as the process may seem, you
may depend upon it. If applied his will
bc short shrift.'
To Prevent Direct Selling.
organizations with which the retailers
and wholesalers are in touch to prevent
selling direct to the consumer the
lumber Secretaries Bureau of Informa-
ton. Chicago, ILL.,: the National Lumber
Manufacturers Association. st. Louis.
Mo-. and the Lumber Credit Agency, Chi
tago. None of these is a defendant.
"One of the means of accomplishing the
unreasonable restriction of trade, says
the complaint, has been the formation
Of the Lumber Trades Congress-. which
meets periodically and Is attended by Of
ficerS and delegates from associations of
manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers
At a regular meeting of the congress in
Minneapolis in 1908 there was adopted d
universal code of ethics a part OF which
reads as follows:
ut should be the duty of manufac-
turers and wholesalers to take an active
interest In the marketing Of their prod
ucts through regular channels only.
1T is the sense of the conference that
the widest possible trade publicity be
given for the purpose of making known
irresponsible. irregular and INSCRIPTIONS
dealers and manufacturers.
Another allegation is that names for
IL hV l.
vidual members of the association. con
centrated at the headquarters of the
Eastern States Retail Lumber Dealers
Association. IS Broadway. New York
the titles of Statement to members and
official report 1t is alleged that the
blacklists have been discussed and APP
proved in the executive sessions
Big Concerns on List.
At one time, the government claims.
the blacklistS. were published as yes
and no" lists. indicating which consum-
ers were proper and which Improper"
trade. AS an exhibit is attached one of the
mo" lists alleged to have been issued by the
National Wholesale Lumber Dealers As
ISOLATION January /, 1902, in which the
Carnegie steel Company. Deering Har-
vester Company. Household Sewing Ma
chine Company, International Paper Com
pany. Otis Elevator Company. D. NJ. Os-
borne Company. Philadelphia and Read
ing Coal and Iron Company. the Pennsyl-
vania Steel Company and many others
are named as Improper" trade
Another exhibit is a circular alleged to
have been issued by the New Jersey
Lumbermen's Protective Association. in
February 1904. for the detection of deal
ers selling out of their territory. 1t is
marked Official Report No. 81, and
reads:
Don't hang this up in your office.
Half of the sales to contractors can be
traced to exposing this list. In reporting
irregular shipments members are re-
quested to supply the number and ini-
tials of the car. the name Of the con-
sumner to whom consigned. the initials or
name of the shipper. date of arrival OF
the car place Of delivery and point of
origin
Another is a sample of queries alleged
to have been sent out regarding prospec-
tive consumers. 1t reads:
Kindly advise us in strict confidence
for the use of this bureau what you know
of the moral standing. financial RESPONSE
bility and business methods of (blank).
The source of this information will not
be disclosed"
Answers to such queries, the govern