The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-20
Alterations in the Bill.

It's directors.
Allegations in the Bill
In It's nil the government alleges;
That the retailers have consplred among
themselves to prevent manufacturers ana
wholesalers from selling lumber direct TO
the consumer
That hundreds OF consumers. including
the largest Industrial corporations in the
country. have been compelled by unIa"-
fu agreements to buy lumber from re-
tailers st much higher prices than they
would have paid To wholesalers
The United States government, how
ever. the bill says. has never been black
listed N that class.
The wholesalers and retailers IN lolnl
conventions and by agreements have
classified consumers AS proper" and i'm
proper and have prepared and exchanged
hl2Cklisls.
That, although the National Wholesale
Lumber Dealers association X not named
AS a defendant. by agreements with ii.
the Eastern States associa ton has or
Sanized end circulated blacklists which
have affected the lumber trade in New
York. North carol,na Pennsylyanr,ia, n nsSl, mia
ginia Massachusetts Tennessee. South
Carolina. Virginia New Jersey. Illinois,
Ohio Wisconsin. Louisiana; Connecticut,
Indiana. Florida. Georgia: Missouri, Ala
bsma. Rhode Island. California. Missis-
sippi, the District of Columbia, the Ca
madam provinces OF Quebec, Ontario.
Blacklists Used.
That as a result OF the alleged black
lists wholesalers have been directed not
10 sell lumber 10 retail dealers who have
dealt with consumers in wholesale quan-
titles and that I'm the ease Of the whole
salcrs who have dealt with consumers in
retail quantities, the organized retailers
were directed not to buy lumber from
them
That retailers. who sold wholesale lots
or competed outside their allotted terri
tory. have. been posted TO the traders as
''poachers' or 'scalpers and in some
instances heavily fined or expelled,
The result OF this illegal operation.
SAYS the governments bill, has Been to
close the door of the wholesale dealers
and manufacturers 10 the consumer IN
nrvc the wholesaler Of the trade of
consumer in a territory covered by re-
taller except through the medium OF the
The Eastern states association was or
canIzcd in 1902 when retail organizations
then existing in tho states mentioned
became constituent members.
The Boston Agreement.
The government charges that the re,
arranged with the National Wholesale
Lumber Dealers associa ton 10 classify
tho trade and the so-callcd "Eosto agree
ment was made, resulting in the by
laws OF the National Wholesale Lumber
Dealers association being changed TO con-
tain the following provision;
When IL shall be determined that any
person, or firm. or corporation is not a
legitimate consumer for the wholesale
trade according to the principles recoS-
u!zed by this association as best con-
serving the lumber business. the members
shall not thereafter sell 10 such person,
firm or corpora ton
Al subsequent joint meetings at Balti-
more and Plttsburg, II is charged this
was modified 10 admit arbitration Of dis
putes Of classification. but in tenor and
enect this bylaw always remained the
same. The Pittsburs conference. II is
charged. WAS between the trades relation
committee Of the wholesalers and repre-
yentatives of the retailers from thirteen
states and adopted A resolution providing
that members OF the National Wholesale
Lumber Dealers association shall refrain
from selling or In any furnishing lum,
ber 10 wholesalers individuals not
members Of their association. or who are
known 10 transact their business contrary
10 the Joint agreements between the Ma
tlonal Wholesale Lumber Dealers asso-
tions''
Report Quoted in Complaint.
In March. 1905, the government recites,
there was convention OF wholesalers
In Washington at which il is alleged a
report vas presented, The following por
tion OF which is quoted in the com
plant:
we are all In favor Of high prices and
nxed high prices. VIC should Ak the
status OF 3 pcacher "a retailer who com
petes for business in The territory of an
other) and keep il Fixed. His place should
be with the scaper "a retailer who sells
al Wholesale pricesl and the illegitimat te
dealer wherever he may be found.
The nArrowness Of such view will
be pointed out and the most mean and
acrimonious cry against il will come from
the operator who Is selling wherever he
cen and 10 whomever he plesses, seem
inely without reason and always without
care as 10 custom or channel for dis
tribution- He is maverick. roaming at
Will over our land. drinking OF the clear
eat streams and feeding in the best pas
turaee. He must be caught and branded.
No association should permit him
membership and no individual should al
any time. OF under any conditions. permit
trading With him, neither buying nor
selling. and. simple as the process NAV
seem, YOU may depend upon IL. II applied.
his Will hc a short shrilt."
The bill then alleges that among the
organizations with which the retailers
selline direct TO the consumer are the
Lumber Secretary's Bureau OF Informa
ton. Chicago; the National Lumber
Manufacturers association. ST. Louis. and
the Lumber Credit agency. Chicago. None
of these is defendant.
one Of the means ~ accomplishing
the unreasonable restriction of trade,
saws the complaint. has been the forma
tion of the American Lumber Trades
congress. which meets periodically and
\. attended by officers and delegates from
associations Of manufacturers whole
callers and retailers.
The Code of Ethics
"Ai tn. regular meeting OF the con.
gress IN Minneapolis in 1905 there wa!
adopted "A universal code of ethics
part OF which reads as follows:
g I. should be the duty OF manufac,
iurers and wholesalers To take an &C.
i've interest In the marketing OF theiI
products through regular channels only
1t is the sense OF the conferences tha
The widest possible trade publicity b.
given for the purpose Of making known
irresponsible. irregular and unscr,Ipuloul
dealers and rnanufacturers'
Another allegation is that names fo
hlacklists have been gathered by ind
vldual members of the association. con