The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-04-11

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sistance to the Investigation was
gwen.
With this active and hearty CO.
operation of the lumber Industry 1t
was felt that the inquiry should
produce early results ON the con
tray, says the the petition, 1t was
not until February 10, 1911, more
than four years after the passage
of the resolution, that any report
whatever was made by the commits.
sioner of corporations, who had
charge OF this investigation under
the secretary of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor. The petition
calls attention to 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 be as promptly brought to .
conclusion as seem likely to be those
against lumber dealers who have
been brought into court"
Secretary Nagel in transmitting
to the president the answer to the
lumber mems complaint. says the
report of the Bureau of Corporations
was not only important and relevant
to the issue involved in the resolu-
lions of Congress. but that the
amount of standing timber and the
concentration OF. It's ownership were
absolutely essential to the discus
sion of the questions Involved. The
secretary says the bureau found a
wholly unexpected and q very re-
markable degree OF concentration OF
standing timber. 1t 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 in.
Yestigation into competitive meth
DDS, a report on which will be pre-.
sented as soon as possible. Refer.
ring further to the statement OF the
lumber men that the first and only
report made by the Department OF
Commerce and Labor was the report
in 1911 on standing timber, Seere
tary Nagel says the Bureau has also
for some time been carrying on in
vestigations into the actual course
of the prices OF lumber, and this too
will be presented as soon as finished.
incidentally Mr., Nagel points out
the difficulty OF gathering this in
formation.
Secretary Nagel says, in reply to
the. demand for verdict, that IL
would be wholly impracticable for
the bureau. and entirely outside of
Its Jurisdiction, to render a verdict
on the existence OF the so-callel lum-
Der trust or conspiracy in restraint
of trade; that the question is strictly
a legal one. AN attempt on the part
of the Bureau OF Corporations, says
the secretary, to make such a finding
OF guilty or not guilty. would be an
absurdity in itself, and would estah-
lish a most embarrassing precedent.
Manager Bronson, in the letter to
President Taft. under date of March
1, takes up seriatim the subjects as,
stated and commented on by the
secretary. and says that notwith-
standing the Importance ofthe In
uuiry as standing timber, 1t is not
responsive to the part Of the Senate
resolution that the Investigation of
the lumber industry should be con-
Quoted with the particular object OF
the existence of any
combination. conspiracy, trust agree
ment, or contract in restraint OF
commerce.
Manager Bronson expresses the
hope that the investigation into
methods. which. secre-
tary Nagel says is under way. will
be presented as soon as possible.
Regarding the request for a YER
dict. Manager Bronson says the,
feel that Secretary Nagel's criticism
Is unworthy; that the Indictment
in the letter to the presl-
dent was referred to as a. moral in
dictment, and that the verdict asked
for is of similar character.
FL