The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-04-27
AFTER HINES
Head Of the Lumber Trust Mixed Up
10 Timber and Lorimtr Cases
WILL GO UNDER PROBE

WILL gu UNUER PRUBE
Hines is Known Principally for His
Deadly Emnity Toward Reciprocity
With Our Neighbor, Canada, and
for Raising the Slush Fund to Buy
Lorimer's Seat in the Senate.
A special to the Greenville News
says the name of Edward Hines, head
of the Lumber Trust, is about to be
thrown upon the screen for close,
public scrutinizing.
Recent indications are that two
very important investigations--one
by the senate into the election Of
Senator Lorimer of Illinois and the
other by a Federal grand jury into
the lumber trust-will both involve
the personality of Edward Hines.
Edward Hines may not be aware
of it, but there is a strong tip af1oat
in Washington to the effect that
Federal grand jury investigation OF
his lumber trust will be begun within
the next two or three weeks. Every
effort has been exerted by the de-
partmnts of justice to keep the plans
of the government secret.
Enough has been learned from
other sources, however, to afford sub
stantial basis for the assertion that
the evidence already collected is
deemed sufficient for presentation to
grand jury with a view to criminal
proceedings against the corporations
and individuals who compose the
combinations which are generally de-
signated as the lumber trust.
Edward Hines will undoubtedly be
summoned as an important witness
in both the lumber trust and Lorimer
investigations, because he has been
active in looking after both.
Mr.. Hines is an arch-enemy of
Canadian reciprocity. He recently
appeared before the ways and means
committee of the house and the f.
nance committee of the senate in op-
position to reciprocity, because of the
damage, he insisted, would be done
to lumber interests.
Prior to that he had called upon
the President to protest against the
notoriety which was being given the
lumber combinations by the inves-
LEGATIONS into their affairs made by
the commissioner Of corporations.
Mr.. Hines, it is reported, urged the
president to make public all the in
formation obtained by the commits
sioner of corporations, asserting that
it could not show the existence of a
lumber trust, because none existed.
Soon after this the bureaus of cor
porations published bulletin upon
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.
The prospective investigation Of
the Lorimer case, yet it is also OBJ
vious that each has bearing upon
the other. Hines efforts to elect
Lorimer were first enlisted when, ac-
cording to his own statement, he
was urged by Senators Aldrich and
Penrose to do what he could to
break the deadlock in the Illionois
legislature, in order that another
vote miaht be obtained for the AL
drich tariff bill and the high rates
on lumber which Hines demanded for
the lumber interests.
Clarence s. Funk, general super
intendent of the international Har-
vester company, testified before a
committee of the Illinois legislature
that Hines approached him with the
statement that "we put Lorimer over
but it cost us 100000 to do it. ;"
Funk declared Hines was endeavor-
ing to collect the 100000 from con-
Germs which would be benfted by
Lorimers election. This is all de-
MED by Hines.
The great timber supply OF the
country, which but short time ago
belonged to the government, is now
owned by few corporations and in
dividuals, and the public has recelv-
ed little, if any benefit, from tine
transfer. But the value of the hold
ings to their present owners is esti-
mated at $4,000, 1000.
This would not be so bad if ther2
had been any considerable distr:hu-
ton of this enormous wealth. But
according to the commissioner OF cor
porations less than 1000 owners hold
more than SS,000,0O0 acres Of tim
Der land. An average Of 10000 each
or IT square miles. OF these 1000
owners many of them hold compara-
lively. small acreas. A few hold the
great bulk of the property.
The three largest owners are tie
Southern Pacific railroad, tn" Nor
thern Pacific and the Weyerheuser
Timber company. The latter. which
is generally regarded as the dsmI-
mating influence in the lumber COM
bination and has been represented by