Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-05-26
W|CKERSHAM FILES
SENSATIONAL SUIT
HUGE CONSPIRACY TO MAINTAIN
HIGH PRICES AND VIOLATE
LAW ALLEGED.
lOLUMBER CONCERNS INVOLVED
Consumers Arc Declared at Mercy OF
ORGANIZATIONS Throughout Coun.
try-Action First Of
Series.

! New York, May 20. - Sweeping
charges of gigantic conspiracy to main
tain high prices, to blacklist concerns
not regarded as proper trade, and
to violate generally the Sherman anti.
trust law, are made in a government
suit filed by Attorney General Wicker
sham in the United States court here
against the socalled lumber trust.
Ten trade organizations and more
than $50 individuals are named as de-
PENDANTS in this suit. which may be the
first of several planned by the depart.
ment OF justice against combinations
Of retailers in staple commodities and
the necessaries Of life to prevent the
ultimate consumer from buying any
whore except from local retailers.
Sensational Charges.
The governments suit is replete
VIII sensational allegations and 1t is
asserted that builders and consumers
Of lumber the country over are at the
mercy OF the retailers organizations
In Different sections of the country.
The suit filed is against the Eastern
States Retail Lumber Dealers 'Asso'
oiation, which is the central body OF
aine local organizations, covering five
states, the District Of Columbia, and
the cities Of Baltimore and Philadol-
phia.
This evidence includes blacklists and
reports Of the various organizations
branding wholesalers and retailers
who have dared to violate the rules
of the association as "poachers."
mavericks" "scalpers" and "illegiti'
mate dealers" to whom short shift"
must be applied.
The government charges in brief
that By an elaborate system of black
listing not only individual consumers,
but some Of the largest industrial
corporations. have been prevented
from dealing directly with wholesal-
ers. BY alleged unlawful agreements
and acts, it is charged that all competi-
ton for the trade Of the contractor,
the builders, the manufacturer of fin
ished lumber products and the indi-
vidual consumer has been thrown en-
tirely into the hands of the retailers
In the Eastern States Lumber Dealers
Association and its constituent organi-
cations. The governments bill al
leges that in some localities the whole
saler selling to a consumer has either
been heavily fined or expelled from
the organization.
Suit Most Important.
Offlcials of the department of Jus.
tice regard the suit as the most i'm.
portant in principle Of any yet under
taken by the government against al
legged conspiracies said to affect the
cost of living. 1t is believed that
should the courts uphold the govern
nent's contention that it is VIOLA
ton of the Sherman antitrust law to
prevent the ultimate consumer from
buying direct from the producer other
suits will be started against combina.
lions of retailers alleged to be in con.
troll of the marketing of many of the
commodities of life.
The defendants named in the suit
and who are alleged to have conspfred
among themselves, and, with the as.
sistance Of the National Wholesale
Lumber Dealers Association. have pre-
vented wholesalers from selling direct
ly or indirectly to consumers are:
The Eastern States Retail Lumber
Dealers Association, a New York cor.
way; the New York Lumber Trade AS.
ISOLATION of New York City; the Build
ing Material Mems Association of
Westchester county, New York; the
Lumber Dealers Association Of Con-
necticut; the Massachusetts Retail
Lumber Dealers Association; the
Lumber Dealers Association of Rhode
Island, and the Retail Lumbermen's
Association of Baltimore.
The officers and directors, trustees
and members of the above are named
- Individual defendants, as well as
the officers and directors and members
of the three following voluntary or.
CARNATIONS:
The New Jersey Lumbermen's Pro
tective Association.
The Retail Lumbermen's Association
Of Philadelphia.
The Lumber Exchange of the Dis.
trict of Columbia.
The government asks for a perma.
nent injunction from continuing the
conspiracy charged.
Probe May Extend to West.
Chicago, May 20.-The governments
suit filed in New York against the
lumber trust" reveals the extent to
which the department of Justice has
Investigated the marketing methods of
the so-called trust in the middle west
during It's search for violations of the
antitrust law.
1t became known that for several
months secret agents from Washing
ton have been working in nearly every
state west of the Mississippi, Illinois.
Michigan and the eastern territory
covered by the New York suit. taking
statements of dealers and examining
books and records Of the associations
The western organizations investigat
ID are reported to be the Northwestern
klt;;l Lumber Dealers Association at
Minneapol!s. the Western Retail Lum'
hermen's Association at Spokane.
Southwestern 1dlmbermen's ASsccia'
ton at Kansas City. 70, Retail Lum.