Arizona republican., 1912-04-06
LUMBER TRUST HAS ID
(COntinued from Page One.D

operation Of the lumber industry it was felt that the inquiry should pro- says the petition, it was no: until February I3, 1911, more than four ution. that any report whatever was made by the commissioner of corpora tiOns, who had charge of this investi- Sation under the secretary of the de- partment of commerce and labor. The petition calls attention 10 the fact that this report was only a partial one and failed to give the lumber producers the verdict they desired.
 The petition closes with an urgent request that the charges against the lumber manufacturers Of the United States he as promptly brought to a conclusion as seem likely tO be those against lumber dealers who have been brought into court"
 Secretary Nj gel in transmitting ro the president the answer to the ium- Der mems complaint, says the report of the bureau of corporations was not only important and relevant tO the issue involved in the resolutions of congress, but that the amount of standing timber and the concentration of its ownership were absolutely es- Scntial % the discussion of the queS- tions involved. The secretary says the bureau found wholly unexpected and q very remarkable degree of concentration of standing timber It thus applied a second and absolutely essential basic fact in the discussion of lumber prices.
 The secretary says the bureau of corporations has. considering the magnitude of the task. supplied nee essary facts as rapidly as possible; that it is now carrying on also an investigation into competitive meth ods d report on which will be pre- scented as soon as possible. Referring further to the statement Of the lum- Der men that the first anl only re port made by the department of commerce ana labor was the report in 1911 OF standing timber, Secretary Nagcl says the bureau has also for some time been carrying on investiga- tions into the actual course of the prices of lumber and this too will be presented as soon as finished. lnci- dentally Mir Nagel points out the diff ficulty of gathering this information.
 Secretary Nagel says, in reply to the demand for a verdict. that it would be wholly impracticable for the bureau. and entirely outside of it's jurisdiction, to render a verdict on the existence of the SO-called lumber trust or conspiracy in restraint of trade; that the question Is strictly legal one Any attempt on the part of the bureau of corporations. says the secretary, to make such a finding or guilty or not guilty, would be an absurlity in itself, and would establish q most embarrassing pTece- dent
 Manager Bronson. in the letter 70 President Taft. under date of March l. takes un seriatim the subjects as stated and commented on by the sec rctary. anu says that notwithstand- ing the importance of the inquiry as to standing timber, it is not r"spon- sive to the part of the senate resolu- tion that the investigation of the lum Der industry should be conducted with the particular object of ascer- taining the existence of any combl- nation. conspiracy, trust agreement. or contract in restraint of commerce.
 Manager Bronson expresses the hope that the investigation into con- petitive methods. which Secretary Nagel says is under way, will be pre- sented as soon as possible
 Regarding the request for q yer dict. Manager Bronson says they felt that Secretary Nagers criticism i5 unworthy; that the indictment men toned in the letter to the presiden' was referred to as a moral indict- ment. and that the verdict asked for is of similar character.
 The Bismark. Bellvue Valley x Western. has been chartered in Mis-
 hot IICn1rk