The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-04-05
Lumbermen Urge Taft and Nagel
to Give out Findings Of
Investigation
IMPATIENT AT The DELAY
Department Has Not Completed
Work Nagel's Answer
Secretary says Bureau Cannot Pass
on Legal Question OF Existence
OF Trust.

w dSnlnSlol, Apill Jus utfftLnu up
on President Taft for publication Of
conclusions of the Department of Com
merce and Labor upon it's inVestiga =
ton of the lumber manufacturing bus
I mess. ordered 10y congress I'm 1906, was
made public today by the National
Lumber Manufacturers association.
with other correspondence between
President Taft and the Secretary OF
the Department of Commerce and La
Dor.
This somewhat unusual attitude on
the part Of great manufacturing in
dustry is in the form OF a petition
which sets forth that the delay i'm re.
porting the findings OF the department
has tended TO confirm the public in the
opinion that a lumber trust exists
in the manufacturing side of the lum-
her business, and has greatly accen-
tuated the attacks upon that industry.
I'VE, representing many citizens Of
the United states who are entitled to
justice at the hands of the government,
and TO that Justice which is doubly adj
mirabe II prompt" says the memorial
7
petition you TO have made public at
the earliest possible moment the whole
conclusion of the Department of Gem
merce and Labor as to the principal
question put to IL by the Congressional
resolutions, that the people of this
country may no longer have To depend
for their opinion as to the lumber pro-
ducing industry upon insinuations, UNI
verified charges, suspicion or pre-
Judice."
Impatient at Delay.
ON receipt of the statement and PEE
tition of the timber men, President
Taft referred the complaint to Secre-
tary Nagel. who furnished the Presi-
dent with "A reply. This reply states
the matter The lumber manufactur-
ers. upon receiving the letter from TIE
Secretary of Commerce. made another
appeal to President Taft. saying:
we hope. Mp. President notwith-
standing the present attitude OF the
administration. as expressed by the
Honorable Secretary, that YOU win
promote the prompt Justice asked fc"
by body of the citizenship now. as
they verify believe, misunderstood. and
grievously maligned.'
In the petition. reference is made 20
the fact that while the Department of
Commerce and Labor made public Feb.
-, 1911. a partial report on the lum-
ber industry. ii related only to The
private ownership of standing timber
in the United States. and advanced
only one of the reasons for the alleged
high price of lumber that this partial
report ignored the request of congress
to report particularly as to the eXis-
tence of combinations. etc, in restraint
of trade and therefore failed to give
the lumber producers the verdict which
they asked for al n conference with the
President Secretary Nagel and Com
missioner Smith in Washington, Jan
uary ~. 1910.
Lumber Prices Advance.
Prices of lumber at the mills. says
the petition, advanced during the
seven years from 1899 to 1906. about
thirty-eight per cent This correspond
ed with the advance in other COM
modlties which enter so greatly into
the cost of lumber, and In part to the
increased values of stumpage.
prices to the consumer in some
sections of the country remote from
lumber producing sections, advanced
probably in still greater proportion due
in part to the exhaustion of near sup
plies. making necessary the payment
Of greatly increased transportation
changes.
Notwithstanding these sufficient
reasons it is charged and seems to
have been commonly believed that the
increase In prices at the mills was
due TO the existence of controlling
combinations or agreements common
ly known as trusts and that the 'lum-
Der trust was and is an oppressive
entity.
The petition then says that respon-