Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-04-05
Say They Rest Under Suspicion Of Be.
ING q Trust" When Such is Not =
Fact = interesting Correspondence
!, With President Taft and Aides Made
Public.

department Of commerce and labor.
I; This somewhat unusual attitude on
, the part of great manufacturing in
| dustry is in the form of petition
which sets forth that the delay in re-
| PORTING the findings Of the department
| has tended to confirm the public In the
opinion that lumber trust" exists In
the manufacturing side Of the lumber
business, and has greatly accentuated
the attacks upon that industry.
I'VE, representing many citizens OF
the United States, who are entitled to
justice at the hands Of the govern
ment. and to that justice which is
doubly adnirabl II prompt" says the
memorial, petition you to have made
public at the earliest possible moment
the whole conclusion of the depart
ment of commerce and labor as to the
principal question put to 1t by the
congressional resolutions. that the
people of this country may no longer
have to depend for their opinion as to
the lumber producing industry upon
insinuations, unverified charges, sus-
picion or prejudice
Second Request Necessary.
On receipt Of the statement and peti-
ton of the lumber men, President Taft
EeIoTIeO Tie SOIiiPIhli " SSNA
Nagel, who furnished the president
with reply. This reply states the 20
sition of the administration in the
matter The lumber manufacturers.
upon receiving the letter from the sec
rotary of commerce. made another ap-
peal to President Taft saying:
we hope, Mr.. President. notwith-
standing the present attitude of the
r. ;rio aYnrpSsPd hv the
honorable secretary, that YOU will pro-
mote the prompt justice asked for by
body Of the citizenship now, as they
verify believe, misunderstood. and
previously maligned."
In the petition, reference is made to
the fact that while the department OF
commerce and labor made public Feb
10. 1911, a partial report on the ium-
Der industry, it related only to the pri-
vate 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 re-
port 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 at a conference with
the president, Secretary Nagel. and
Commissioner Smith in Washington.
Jan. IL. 1910.
Admits Increase of Prices.
prices OF lumber at the mills" says
the petition, advanced during the sew
en- years from 1899 to 1906. about 3s
per cent. This correspondent with the
Advance in other commodities which
enter so greatly into the cost OF lum-
Der, 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
fsupplies, making necessary the payment
of greatly increased transportation
changes.
notwithstanding these sufficient
reasons 1t Is charged and seems to have
been commonly believed that the in
crease In prices at the mills was due
to the existence OF controlling COM
binatiorfs or agreements commonly
known as trusts and that the lumber
trust was and is an oppressive entity
The petition then says that respon-
sive to public charges congress adopted
resolutions for an investigation Of the
lumber9business Attention is particu-
larly called to the fact that the reso-
lutions required that the investigation
should be conducted with the "particu-
lar object" Of ascertaining the exist
ence Of any combination, conspiracy.
trust. agreement or contract In re-
straint of@commerce.
Report Long Delayed.
The petition says further that while
the effect Of these resolutions was In
furious 70 the lumber industry. the In
yestization was welcomed by lumber
producers who had long been FESTIVE
under the loose. unfounded and ignor-
ant charges made against them" and
that every assistance to the investiga-
ton was given.
| with this active and hearty cooper
alton Of the lumber industry 1t was felt
that the inquiry should produce early
results" On the contrary, says the Pc
tition, II was not until Feb. IL. 1911.
more than four years after the passage
Of the resolution. that any report what
ever was made by the commissioner OF
corporations, who had charge Of this
investigation under the secretary of
the department OF commerce and labor.
The petitions calls attention to the fact
4 that this report was only 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 a
conclusion as seem likely to be those
! against lumber dealers who have
been brought into court
Secretary Nagel, in transmitting to
the president an 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 resolutions Of congress.
but that the account Of standing TIM
bsr and the concentration Of IT, owner
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