The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-29
.LUMBERMAN WHITE GIVES TESTIMONY Says His Companies Have
 Been Investigated IDENTIFIES LETTERS Admits Directing Secretary of South ern Association to Furnish
 Price Lists for Correct
 Information"
IDENTIFIES LETTERS

Jefferson City. Mo, June @.-Testimony this afternoon of John B. White of Kan sas City. In the state custer suit against lumber companies alleged to be fin a/trust. disclosed the fact that Whites own com panies had been investigated by three ex- perts from the department of commerce and labor.
 The claim made by the Kansas City lumberman that his investments were not earning him 5 per cent was disputed by the government experts who, he said' tosd him his estimate of profits was too low.
 This testimony was given after Mir. White had identified letters written by him as president of the Southern Lumber manufacturers association to It's secre-' tary George K. Smith. One letter relat- ing to price lists suggested that the secre- tary furnish c. J. Schuster, St. Louis printer, with price lists reheeting actual market conditions, in order that the print ed lists would give correspondingly cor rect information to lumbermen.
 The seconr. letter identified was one in Wnlcn ne ulTeCleu OCIIOtafy " write to Herbert Knox Smith. commits sioner of the bureau of corporations of the department of commerce and labor, inviting a searching investigation into the methods of the Southern Lumber association.
 This, he said, was done, and later he made a similar request of the commis- sioner regarding his own properties at Fisher. La. The experts assigned 10 the task took the companys books for 1 years to Washington for examination, he said.
 Price Lists ase Evidence
 Price lists issued by the Missouri Land and Labor Exchange, of which the Wlt- ness is the head, were introduced by the state and made a part of the record. They cover the years of 1904 and 1905 and it was pointed out by Assistant Attor- ney General Atkinson that they were is- sued the same day and contained the same prices as quoted In the iists secfe- tary Smith sent out for the association.
 MT. White, who had previously testited he used the Southern associations llsts merely for guidance in fixing his prices, and did not adhere strictly to the lsts furnished by the association was at a loss to explain why his lists were issued with those of the South- crn association and quoted the same figures. ,u
 The examination of witnesses VIII pc continued tomorrow.
 Secretary on Hand
 Lawyers for the lumber companies which are opposing the states custer suit cross-examined White this morning. White WAS president of the southern umher Manufacturers association, which was changed to the Yellow Pine Manu- acturers' association, u defendant In the states suit o.
 W K. Smith of St. Louis. secretary or Inc Yellow Pine Manufacturers associa- lion, appeared at the hearing unoer o, 1ers of Special Commissioner Hooert M Reynolds, with his records and corre- spondence, by which Assistant At'oraeS General Atkinson expects to prove the umber output was curtailed by a meet pp of the manufacturers in 1905.
 The printed records of the meeting or Inc Southern Lumbermen' Manufactur- pe association at Memphis in 1891 were introduced by the state. In the recorus was a telegram sent by George M' Grl,- In of Kansas City to J. B. White' which read:
 .'Hold stiff the present list. No advance advisable"
 Basis for Prices
 Finder cross-examination MT. White told of the organization of the Missouri Land and Timber exchange to sell iuri- ,er salesmen of the exchange were not held strictly to the list prices. put ware limited to maximum rates, excep- ions being the experienced salesmen WHO were not limited as to any prices.
 The price, according to MT. w nite were fixed at the probable demand ana the price list was prepared by different firms md nersons. Lists furnished by the secre- .ary of the association were used as oasis for the prices.
 MT White expressed the opinion that he lumber manufacturers did not make profit Of more than per cent He sald he nrices for lumber were no higher Tn eOs. when Governor Hadley, then attor- lev general, instituted the proceedings, han in 1882, notwithstanding the fact s,umpage and cost of labor had ad- yanced in some instances 800 per cent.
 MT White claimed that the advance If 3s per cent in the price of lumber rom 1905 to 1907 was due to prosperous business conditions and that 1t was less han the advance on hogs, corn and oth- ,r products.
 Curtailment Necessity
 speaking of curtailment. he said that per cent more lumber was manufactured n 1914 than 1903 and that curtailment was necessary as he did not want more lumber than the market demanded.
 The price list sent by the secretary, ne testified, were only advisory and that ne made his own list from information of the markets and conditions of trade. The state showed Whites list and Smiths lst were issued the same day.
 Tn closing his cross-examination the witness told of his appointment by for ner President Roosevelt as his personal to investigate the Indian in Minnesota and of his ap- ointment by the former President as me of the two lumbermen on the nation Il conservation commission.
 The state had him under redirect ex- animation this afternoon.
 WILL LEND AUTOMOBILE