The Detroit times., 1911-09-01
HOLMES READY TO
FIGHT ATTACK ON
LUMbERMEN
Let En- Go Ahead, They'll Find
Us on Firing Line When Battle
Starts" He Says-Laughs at
Story Of Relatives.
Government Begins Suit To Put
Michigan Retail Dealers' Assn.
Out Of Business.

Retail Lumber Dealers association
ssscssed Jobbers 10 per cent for
selling TO 'outsiders' 10 the rich
est thing ever heard Of" said
Arthur /. Holmes, editor Of "The
Scout" and one OF the men named
as defendants In the suit brought
by the government here to put
the Michigan Retail Lumber Deal
ere association out Of business.
"if we have ever had such q
rule, II 10 q new one on mo, and
I think ! would have knon some
think would have known some
knew Of anyone being compelled
20 put up q penalty and ! don't
know Of any one ever receiving
that 10 per cent they tell about.
Let 'em 90 ahead. They'll find us
on the firing line when the time
comes for the big battle"
Charging an unlawful conspiracy In
restraint OF .rade, United States Dis
trict Attorney Frank II. Watson, as
his last Official act before quitting
that ONCE, filed bill In equity,
Thursday afternoon, to put the Mich
igan Retail Lumber Dealers asso-
citation out OF business. The action Is
taken under the direction of the at
torney-general. and the suit begun
here is one OF several planned by the
government in It's campaign against
the so-called lumber trust. A similar
suit was instituted against the lum-
Der dealers association embracing the
eastern states, several weeks ago, and
IL secretaries of various associations
throughout the middle west have been
indicted.
The defendants named In the suit
instituted by Mr.. Watson are:
Edward e. Hartwick, president, De-
|troit; Arthur L. Holmes, vice-presi-
dent, Detroit; George p. Sweet, sec
retary and treasurer, Grand Rapids:
John j. Comerford. Detroit; A. j.
Kraft, Battle Creek H w Rickerd.
Lansing: John Wood. Grand Rapids:
Frank ID. Jsnlxs. Port Huron, and c..
"A. Pollock, Coldwater, as officers and
directors Of the Michigan Retail Lum-
ber Dealers association; also that or
ganization and the Scout Publishing
company; the Lumber Secretaries
Bureau Of Information, and Arthur L.
Holmes, as publisher OF The Scout"
the official organ Of the Michigan Re
tail Lumber Dealers association
The bill asks that the defendants
be permanently enjoined from doing
anything In furtherance Of the con-
spiracy that Is alleged to exist among
the lumber interests Of the various
states or In furtherance of the con-
spiracy alleged to exist among the
members Of the Michigan Retail Lum.
Der Dealers association, and that the
association be enjoined from having
any cooperation with or membership
In the Lumber Secretaries Bureau OF
Information.
II is charged In the bill that the
through the medium of "The Scout"
In cases where q wholesaler or job
Der In the association sold to some
one outside the association, the secre-
tary, IL Is alleged, would make de-
mand on the offending Arm for the
payment of a penalty equal to 10 per
cent of the amount of the sale. II
the penalty were not paid. the dealer,
It is charged. was blacklisted. II Ia
further alleged that THE Scout"
edited by Arthur L. Holmes, and. un.
I'll about year ago, published by the
association, was used to inform retail
ers' generally az TO firms that had
sold to outsiders The Lumber Secre-
taries' Bureau Of Information was
also maintained in furtherance OF the
blacklist, II IL charged, and for the
purpose or swapping" Information.
The Scout, since July 1, 1910, has been
published by the Scout Publishing co.
The stock, II Is said, is owned by
lumbermen and It's subscribers, Tor
the most part, are dealers. The secre-
taries' bureau Is alleged to control
the company.
According to the bill, or petition.
there was an open lumber market In
Michigan, prior to 1888 or 1889, manu-
facturers. wholesalers, jobbers and re
tailers all actively competing for
trade. Then the Michigan Retail
Lumber Dealers association was
formed, its alleged purpose being 10
destroy competition. The association,
n is said. arbitrarily classified lumber
dealers according to the stock tney
carried. In small cities and towns,
75. 600 feet or lumber was considered
the minimum stock. In contrast with
the alleged blacklist, the association,
n a charged, maintained an non.
orary" roll for those who observed
the rules of the association.
The bill quotes from corIespor
dence published In The Scout con,
cerning a lumber company wnlcn ha'