The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-10
SAY LUMBER
RING HAlTS
PRICE FALL
Federal Trade Commission
AYERS Combine Con-
trolls Industry.

Washington. Jan. 1o.-An extern
stve investigation into the activities
OF lumber manufacturers through
their national and regional assoeia-
ti0ns is being made BY the depart
ment Of justice, with the assistance
OF the federal trade commission.
This is disclosed in q report sent
to congress by the committee in
connection with the inquiry being
conducted by the senate committee
on housing and reconstruction.
The report, the commission says. is
designed to show the activities Of
the manufacturer and their atti-'
tude towards national legislation, !"
amendments to the revenue laws.
elimination Of competitive woods,
control of prices and production,
restriction of reforestration and
other matters"
It is set out that the lumber man
ufacturers in the approximately 10
different lumber sections Of the
country have organized regional as
sociations which have formed the
National Lumber Manufacturer
association, with headquarters at
Chicago.
Each regional association" the
report says, complies statistics
upon production, market conditions
in general, sales reports, sales re-
ports showing actual prices obtain
ed for lumber and establishes and
maintains uniform grading rules
and q uniform cost account system.
Various other activities are under
taken to accomplish the purpose OF
their organization"
Enpleys Lawyer.
Tho commission informs congress
tha..- the national. association has
been very active in legislative and
departmental affairs which affect
this industry" It adds that l.. C.
Boyle, q Kansas City attorney with
headquarters inf Washington, sis
employed to attend to such mat
ters for the national association, "
and that he also represents many
OF the regional associations.
The report says the national as-
sociation appointed . committee
ION government relations" the
function Of which was fully out
lined" by Mr.. Boyle in q letter,
day 5, 1919, to Charles F. Keith,
president OF the Southern Pine as
sociation, "and one Of the leading
officials Of the national associa-
'tion," which the commission quotes
as follows: -t
ITO my mind the outstanding op-
portunity OF your committee has to
serve the industry, and also the
country at large, is to SO mobilize
its units that they may be in q po-
sition to more adequately defend
themselves against the destructive
tendencies of the hour. The re
suit can be aided by the industry
being kept fully advised through
your committee Of governmental &C.
tivities-political, legislative and
Observation-Disclosures have for their
direct or indirect object invasion OF
constitutional guarantees. Due to
this character OF. information the
operators MAY be induced to pay
less attention to the political COM
plexion of . candidatafor ONCE and
more attention to his standing ~ .
bona fide American citisen-one
who Understands that We live un-
der a constitutional form of gov
ernment.
"Mr Boyle" the commission says
further referred to this committee
in a letter Of May to Mr.. Keith, in
Which he added:
".It would be unwise to spread
broadcast the plan Of organizing
your committee, and thu especially
il the organization u to be compre-
hensive Of the industry, because
the very magnitude Of the plan
would challenge attention and
arouse suspicion" So.
Numerous extracts from cofre.
spondence, said to have passed be-
tween officials Of regionA organiza-
tidhs. are given in. the report to
support the commissions charge
that issuance OF price lists from
ttme to time was IN established
practice"
Further Charges.
The report contains documents IN
support OF further charges that the
aseociation had consistently sought
F, to eliminate competition not only
! in prices, but in, competing woods
! and also to restrict production IN
| the interest Of price levels.
It 10 set forth that four dayy b..
fore the expiration Of Dec. ., 1919
Of the maximum prices on lumber
f,xed by the war industries board
the Southern Pine association mei
At St. Louis and the day aftsr Z
representative Of the Edward Hinea
lumber company Of Chicago wrote