The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-31
President Merrill Of Trades
Congress Says Gases Are
Welcomed.
WILL GIVE FOUNDATION
FOR FUTURE OPERATIONS
Denies There Is Wrong in Co.
Operating for Purpose of
Giving Information.

George r. Merrill. general manager OF
! Morrison. Merrill Co. Of Salt Lake,
and a conspicuous figure i'm the lum Der
business Of the west. has just returned
from 81. Louis. Mo. where he was elect
ed president OF the American Lumber
Trades congress. which met May % and
= TO act on important questions affect
! Ing the lumber business OF the country
\ and 10 consider the legal actions now
pending In the cast against certain cor
poratlons said 10 be included In the So
called lumber trust"
While the congress undertook TO trans
act vast amount Of business imme-
diately relating TO the trade itself ac-
cording 10 Mr.. Merrill. the essential
feature OF the annual conference lay in
partial revision OF the code Of ethics
ADOPTED by :hc congress al Chicago in
1909 insofar as it is directly connected
Win the suits now pending in the east.
ms action. he said, had been taken
largely Tor the purpose of avoiding un-
necessary litigation between the lumber
wholesaler. the manufacturer and the re-
taller. and 10 make the defined policy OF
the lumber dealer in his own business in
tefest so clear as TO leave no room for
public or those who had declared the
existence Of a national trust"
Have Comprehensive Code.
"The American Lumber Trades con-
ETess. said Mr., Merrill Yesterday. was
brought into being with the hope that II
the better developed ideas OF those In the
trade could be crystalIZed into definite
statements. IL would form standard or
moral code that would DC generally ac-
ceDted BY the various organizations in
the trade as An authoritative policy TO
protect them In the conduct Of their
business The congress represents thirty
trade orsa tions In the United States
As result. there now exists what
is known as code Of ethics or coop
erative policy, which deals with order
methods. order specifications order
acknowled dEu1ent delay by carriers,
definite time for shipment special and
worked stock credit rating. transit
and storage shipments and arbitration.
This code comprises the principles that
are recognized in all lines OF business;
its substance is that the man who man
ufactures goods and sells them as
wholesaler 10 the consumer direct; can
not hope 20 compete with or hold the
trade OF the retail dealer.
IT our competitor sells to US with the
right hand and TO the consumer direct
with the left. he cannot hope 70 retain
our pa atronsge. for we would be directing
efforts against our own business by put
ting plums into The hand OF competitor.
This Idea obtains in ali business and is as
old as the hills.
Marketing the Product.
IL SSfl4DUE 10 2NN II OF E0l- C0Ce4 "
is specified that ii should De the duty OF
the manufacturers and wholesalers 20
take an active interest in the marketing
Of their products through regular chan
nels only. and II is the sense Of the con-
gress that the widest possible trade pub
licity be given for the purpose OF making
known irresponsible. unethicsl and un-
scrupulous manufacturers, wholesalers
and dealers.
Certain factions and legal sources
have interpreted the word regular to
mean the maintenance of certain prices
or schedules In the form OF An agree
ment, which is not true. This matter
was taken uD at the congress, and after
much argument resolution, for which
the two sections; II provided that II
should be recognized by lumber manu-
fscturers and wholesalers that the re-
tail distributors Of lumber are 4 neces-
saTy factor In the trade and q useful
servant Of the public, and as SUCH should
De recognized as the logical chain
through which 20 market their products
This was done 20 make more plain the
position taken by the retailer and make
as nearly possible misconstruction OF
the words impossible.
Actions Are Test Cases.
However. the suits brought against
lumber associations and organizations In
New York and the New England states
by Attorney General Wickersham Of New
York. which are termed IN the newspa-
pers as actions against the lumber
trust are In reality nothing but test
cases brought to determine whether the
practice OF retail merchants in declin-
ing TO place business with MANUFACTURED
and wholesalers who compete with them
tagonistic TO the Sherman antitrust Law
and in restraint OF trade. These test
cases have been brought in the east be
cause eastern firms have laid themselves
more open to criticism and attack.
We are glad the suits have been
brought. for the decisions will form a
foundation upon which We can base our
future business methods. But We object
10 the contortions Of the press in making
believe that actions have been brought
against some gigantic combine or trust
these cases pending are test cases. is
more than substantlated in the fact that
none OF the Witnesses called for either
side are required 20 testify under oath
Two years ago the kittredse resolu-
ton was passed in the senate calling for
an investigation Of the lumber industry.
Veloped that there was no such thing as
a national lumber trust Such a thing
was found impossible by virtue OF intense
competition IN all parts OF the land. or
2000 were found that belonged 70 an or
ganization Of any kind. 1t also de-
veioped that the lumber dealers We're
better organized than other trades along
the lines Of keeping themselves informed
as TO which manufacturers and whole
salers were doing business with retail
with the consumers.
Question in Nutshell.
"The whole issue is this: Is there any
moral or legal wrong in retailers coop
Grating for the purpose OF informing
themselves as to the selling policy Of
manufacturers and wholesalers or 10
put IL palmer whether any given whole
saler is competing with the retail dealer /.
for the trade OF the consumer?
Dozens OF public men have expressed /
themselves in favor OF wha; have come
10 be considered as legitimate and reg
uar methods in the handling OF merchan-
disc. and We do not believe that the gov Z
ernment or any other likely 10 be invoked
can SHOW that assoCia lions OF either I
wholesalers or retailers are not war
ranted in giving their members infoTrna- /
tion on the violation Of trade ethics or
that the members are exceeding their
legal and moral rights in making such i
use OF this information as they believe I
VIII best serTe their interests"
Small Fire on South Side.