The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-04-11
LUMBER TRUST ANXIOUS
is TO ITS future
Wants Secretary Nagel to
Usurp the Powers of
the Judiciary.
VERDICT Is SOUGHT
From Him But He SAYS Ii
Would Be Absurd for
Him to Act.

publications OF conclusions OF the
Department of Commerce and Labor
upon Its investigation OF the lumber
manufacturing business, ordered by
Congress in 1906, was made public
today by the National Lumber Man
ufacturers' Association, with other
correspondence between President
Taft and the secretary of the De
partment of Commerce and Labor.
This somewhat unusual attitude
Eon the part of great manufacturing
Industry is In the form of petition
which sets forth that the delay in
reporting the findings OF the depart
ment has tended to confirm the pub.
lie opinion that lumber. trust" ex.
lists in the manufacturing side o, the
lumber business, and has greatly ac-
centuated the attacks upon the in
duestry. =..-@.1 ,.--s -
I'VE. representing many citizens
of the United States. who; are en-
titled to Justice at the hands Of the
government. and to that Justice
which us doubly admirable II
prompt" says the memorial, "peti-
ton you to have made public at the
earliest possible moment the whole
conclusion of the Department OF
Commerce and Labor as to the prin-
eipal question put to it by Congress
slonal resolutions, that the people
Of this country may no longer have
to depend for their opinion as to the
lumber producing industry upon In
situations, unverifed charges, sus-
picion or prejudice"
On receipt OF the statement and ne
tition of the lumber men, President
Taft referred the complaint to Sec
rotary Nagel, who furnished the
president with a reply. This reply
states the position Of the administra-
ton in the matter. The lumber
manufacturers, upon receiving the
letter from the sceretary of com.
merce, made another appeal 70
President Taft, saying:
I'VE hope, Mr.. President, not
withstanding the present attitude of
the administration, as expressed by
the honorable secretary, that you
will promote the prompt justice
asked for by body of the citizen
ship now. as they verify believe.
misunderstood and previously ma
lIgned."
In the petition reference is made
to the fact that while the Depart
meht of Commerce and Labor made
public February 10, 1911, a partial
report on the lumber Industry, IL
related to only 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 ig-
nored the request of Congress to re-
port particularly as to the existence
of combinations, ETC., in restraint OF
trade and therefore failed to give
the lumber producers the verdict
which they asked for at conference
with the president, Secretary Nagel
and Commissioner Smith in Wash
ington. January IL, 1910.
Prices of lumber at the mills,
says the petition, advanced during
the seven years from 1899 to 1905,
about thirty-eisht per cent. This
correspondent with the advance in
other commodities which enter so
greatly into the cost of lumber, aud
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 proportioa
due in part to the exhaustion of near
supplies, making necessary the pay
ment of greatly increased transport
tation charges.
Notwithstanding these sufficient
reason it is charged and seems to
have been commonly believed that
the increase in prices at the mills
was due to the existence of con-
trolling. combinations or agreements
commonly known as trusts and
that the lumber trust was and is an
oppressive entity"
The petition says that responsive
to public charges Congress adopted
resolutions for an investigation 81
the lumber business. Attention is
particularly called to the fact that
the resolutions required that the in
yestigation should be conducted
with "the particular object" of as
certaining the existence. OF any com
bination, conspiracy, trust, agree.
ment or contract in restraint of COM
merce.
The pe,ition aays furtbar t,atl