Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-08

Der trust was and is an oppressive
entity"
The petition then says that re-
sponsive to public charges congress
adopted resolutions for an investiga-
ton of the lumber business. Atten-
ton is particularly called to the fact
that the resolutions required that the
Investigation should be conducted
with the particular object" of ascer-
tanning the existence of any combina-
ton, conspiracy, trust, agreement or
contract in restraint of commerce.
The petition says further that
while the effect of these resolutions !
was injurious to the lumber industry, I
the investigation was welcomed by
/ lumber producers who had long
been FESTIVE under the loose, I'M 1
founded and ignorant charges made |
against them" and that every assist |
ance to the investigation was given.
With this active and hearty coop
Grafton Of the lumber industry 1t was
felt that the inquiry should produce
early results. On the contrary" says
the petition, 1T was not until Feb.
13, 1911, more than four years after
the passage OF the resolution, that
any report whatever was made by
the commissioner of corporations,
who had charge OF this investigation
under the secretary of the depart
ment 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 lum-
: beTmen's 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 concentra-
. ton of it's ownership were absolute
ly essential to the discussion of the
, questions involved. The secretary
says the bureau found a wholly IN
expected and q very remarkable de-
gree 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 az possible;
that it is now carrying on also an
investigation into competitive meth
DDS, a report on which will be pre-
scented as soon as possible. Refer
ring further to the statement of the
lumbermen that the first and only
report made by the department OF
commerce and labor was the report
in 1911 on standing timber, Secre-
tary Nagel says the bureau has also
for some time been carrying on in
yestigations into the actual course
OF the prices of lumber, and this, too
will be presented as soon as finished
incidentally MIR. Nagel points out the
difficulty of gathering this informa-
ton.
Secretary Nagel says, in reply &c
the demand for a verdict, that il
would be wholly impracticabIe for the
bureau and entirely out of its juris
diction, 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 par
Of the bureau of corporations, say.
the secretary, to make such a finding
of guilty or not guilty, would be al
absurdity in itself and would estab
lish q most embarrassing precedent
Manager Bronson, in the letter Il
President Taft, under date of Marcel
/, takes up seriatim the subjects a.
stated and commented on by the sec
rotary, and says that notwithstand
ing the importance of the inquiry a
the standing timber, IT is not respon
sive to the part of the senate reso
luton that the investigation of III,
lumber industry should be conducte
with the particular object of ascer
tanning the existence of any combina
ton, conspiracy, trust agreement 0
contract IN restraint of commerce.
Manager Bronson expresses tn
hope that the investigation into com
Uetitive methods. which Secretar
NageI says is under way, will be pre-
scented as soon as possible.
Regarding the request for a vel
dict. Manager Bronson says they fel
that Secretary Nagel's criticism is ur
worthy, that the indictment mention
ed in the letter the president wa
referred to as a moral indictment
and that the verdict asked for is c
similar character.
Prompt relief in all cases of throa