Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-14
Startling Report by Com
missioner of Corpor-
atiOns.
ONE PERIL OF FUTURE
Supply of Timber at Present
Rate of Consumption Will
Last 55 Years.

Washington, Feb. 14.-Concentration
of control of standing timber in a very
few hands, vast speculative holdings
far in advance Of any use thereof.
enormous increase in value OF this di-
minishing natural resource. with great
profits to its owners" ami incidental
ly, IAN equally sinister land monopo-
ly" and closely connected railroad
domination These are the findings
reported 70 the president by Commis-
sioner of Corporations Smith, in the
first installment Of he report on the
lumber industry of the United States
WORTH BILLIONS.
In Minnesota, Wisconsin. and Michi-
gan he finds 215 holders have 65 per
cent of all timber. In the entire tim
her area of the country privately own
ed standing timber, not including the
value of the land, is estimated at least
six billion dollars. 1t is calculated
that at the present rate of consumption
the standing timber of the country Will
last only 50 years.
NOW BEING FORMED.
There are many great combinations
in other industries" says the commits
sioner. whose formation is Comple,c.
In the lumber industry. on the other
hand, the bureau d1Gs now in the ma
king a combination caused, fuuGsInan-
tally, by long public policy. The con
Centraion already existing is sufi-
ciently impressive. Still more impress
r%-e are the possibilities for the fu-
ture.
1876 HAVE HALF.
"In the last 40 years concentration
has so proceeded that 195 holders,
many interrelated, now have practic-
ally one-half the privately owned tim
Der in the investigation area (Which
contains so percent of the whole).
This formidable process Of concentIa-
ton, in timber and in land certainly
involves grave future possibilities of
impregnable monopolisuc conditions
whose far-reaching consequences to
society it is now difficult to antici-
pate fully or TO over-estimate."
STATUS IN THREE STATES.
In Minnesota, Wisconsin and Mi
chigan." says the commissioner, there
are 100, 600. 900 900 feet of privately
owned timber. In Wisconsin SO hold
ers have three-fourths of all timber. In
Michigan 11S holders have &c per cent
in Minnesota six holders have 81 per
cent Of very valuable white and Nor
way pine 16 percent of other conifers.
and percent of hard woods. Taking
all three states, 215 holders have SO
percent of all timber"
MEANS ABSOLUTE MONOPOLY.
Coming 10 the question Of probable
effect OF this concentration. the com
missioner expressed his views as fol
lows:
Such concentration in standing tim
Der. If permitted TO continue and in
crease. indicates q final central con-
troll of the whole lumber industry. A
few strong interests, ultimately hold
ing the bulk OF timber, can set the
price of timber and its products
SUIT LONG PLANNED.
Washington, Feb. 14.-With intent
TO file some sort of an antitrust suit
against the lumber interests, the de-
partment OF justice has been at work
nearly a year investigating complaints
of discrimination, black-listing, price
raising, and combinations 10 apportion
territory. Many hundreds OF such
complaints have been received from
small lumber dealers, independent
mills and individual consumers IN all
sections OF the country. and anti
trust agents have given detailed in
vestigRuon to many OF them.
ONE DIVISION AT A TIME,
II seems 10 be the plan OF the de-
partment TO devote its attention first
TO one OF the so-cRlIed divisions" OF .
the interests. And what may be an .
antitrust suit against one OF these is .
now being perfected. II IS likely that
when the investigst tion in this one
particular case is complete, however, .
no suit will be filed Immediately,
AWAITS DECIsIoSS,
Despite the fact several antitrust
cases are all ready 10 be started, It is
tie disposition OF the administration .
10 wal, until decisions Of the supreme .
court have been given in the Standard
OIL and tobacco cases. The investi-
CATION the department of justice has
been making is entirely separate from
ihat made 6y the bureau of corpora