Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-20

ID. Lansing and G.. Waldo Parrott, all
'iof Providence, its officers. and eight
directors.
The Retail Lumbermens' Associa-
tion of Baltimore, Henry p. Duker.
Harry j. Matthews and George II.
Poehlmann. all of Baltimore, its Off
ee9s and seven directors
George A. SmoclS of Asbury Park,
~ j.. A. X Bennett, J. f. CLASSIFY,
ana James NJ. Reilly, all of Newark,
n. j., the officers of the New Jersey
Lumpermens' Protective Association,
a voluntary association ard y men,
bers.
William c. MacBride. Fischer Dali
lymple and Charles F. Maule of Phil
adelphia. the officers of the Retail
Lumbermcns Association of Philadel-
phia, voluntary organization, and II
directors
William T. Galliher, w. A. Church,
George L. Walker. Lee l.. Herrell of
Washington, ID c.. the officers of the
Lumber Exchange of the District of
Columbia voluntary organization
aud Thomas w. Smith John W. Toll
son and Samuel Ross, it's directors.
Briefly in its bill, the government
alleges;
THAT the retailers have conspired
to prevent manufacturers and whole
salers from selling lumber direct to
the consumer "a consumer, for :hese
purposes is held to be contracting
builder, mail order house, farmers,
CO. operative union. or the citizen who
buys a pine board to repair his wood
shed That hundred of consumers,
some of them the largest industrial
corporations in the country have been
compelled by alleged unlawful agree
ments to buy lumber from retailers at
much greater prices than they would
have paid to wholesalers.
But the United States government
listed in that class.
The wholesalers and retailers ir
joint conventions by agreements have
classified the consumers as Proper"
and Improper" trade and have pre-
pared and exchanged black lists.
That. although the National Whole
sale Lumber Dealers Association is
not named as a defendant in this ae-
ton. by agreement wit 1T. the Eastern
States Retail Lumber Dealers Associ
alton has organized and circulated
blaeklsts which have affected the
lumber trade in New York, North
Carolina. Kentucky. Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Michigan, West Virginia
Massachusetts, Tennessee. South Car
DINA, Virginia, New Jersey. Illinois.
Ohio. Wisconsin. Louisiana. Connecti-
cut, Indiana. Florida. Georgia. Mis-
souri,. Alabama Rhode Island, Califor-
MIA Mississippi, District of Columbia. |
the Canadian provinces of Quebec. On |
tario. Nova Scotia and British Column |
bia.
That as a result of the alleged black |
lists wholesalers have been directed |
not to sell lumber to retail dealers |
who have dealt with the consumer
in reail quantities. have been Protest |
ed, to the organized retailers who |
were directed by their organization |
not to buy lumber from such whole |
salers.
That retailers who have sold lumber |
in wholesale lots or who have COM
peted for business outside their allotted |
territory have been posted to the trad |
ers as "Poaehers' or "Scalpers' and |
in some instances have been heavily |
fined or expelled from the organization |
The result of this illegal operation
says the governments bill. Has been
to close the door of the wholesale deal |
er and manufacturer to the consumer
in all part of the United States and |
to deprive the wholesaler of the trade |
of a consumer in a territory covered |
by a retailer except through the medi- |
UNI of the retail yard.
The Eastern States Association was
organized in 1902 when the retail or
CARNATIONS then existing in the states
mentioned became constituent mem
bers
The government charges that the
retailers had before that time. how
ever arranged with the National
Wholesale Lumber Dealers Associa-
ton, to classify the trade and the
so-cal'ed Boston agreement" was
made. resulting in the bylaws of the
National Wholesale Lumber Dealers
Association being changed to contain
the following provision:
Whenever it shall be determined
that any per-
son or firm or corporation is not a
legitimate customer for the wholesale
trade according to the principles recog-
nized by this association as best con-
serving the lumber business. the MEM
bers shall not thereafter sell to such
person. firm or corporation
The government alleges that at sub
sequent joint meetings at Baltimore
and Pittsburg this was modified to ad
nit arbitration of disputes as to CLASH
fication. but that it's tenor and effect
always remained the same. The Pitts
burg conference, it is charged, which
was between the trades relations COM
mittee of the wholesalers and repre-
sentatives of the retailers from 13
states, adopted a resolution providing
that members of the National Whole
sale Lumber Dealers Association shall
refrain from selling or in any way
furnishing lumber to wholesale firms or
individuals not members of their assoc
citation which are known to transact
their business contrary to the joint
agreements between the National
Wholesale Lumber Dealers Associa-
ton and the various retail associations
Pendennis White of Buffalo (now