HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



evidence constituting prooi tliat even tlie minor element of the lum- 

 !ier trade — the retail building wood interest — was engaged in an un- 

 lawful combination or conspiracy. The case would be thrown out of 

 any court as being unworthy of consideration. 



The pusillanimous character of the story is evidenced by the drag- 

 ging into it of the name of Edward Hines, who never has had a 

 suspicion attached to his name in connection with a combination in 

 lumber or anything else. He always plays a lone hand. It also at- 

 tempts to connect the so-called American Lumber Trades Congress 

 and its code of trade ethics — which are more famed by being for- 

 gotten than by being employed- — as an ally of the secretary's bureau 

 of the retail lumber dealers' associations. 



This is evidently the story that was so persistently touted by 

 Hearst 's Cosmopolitan magazine as a sensational expose that it would 

 make in its issue of December last, but apparently it has been rele- 

 gated to this latest magazine purchase of the redoubtable Hearst. 



Standing sponsor for this article is simply another evidence of the 

 sordid and iniquitous character of this prince of social and industrial 

 disturbers. 



The Department of Justice fol- 

 lowed by a horde of muekrakers 

 of the Hearst stamp has spent 

 four years in attempting to dem- 

 onstrate the existence of a lum- 

 ber trust, and now the entire 

 bunch is down to an assailment 

 of the methods of the minor ele- 

 ment, the country retail limiber 

 yard trade. This seems to be 

 the last ditch in which the gov- 

 ernmental and individual investi- 

 gators have landed. Hence, to 

 quote William Alsorandolph 

 Hearst, "the useful art of dis- 

 torting an issue is a great and 

 successful invention.- The only 

 question about it is whether we 

 have not had about enough of 

 it." 



AH the report that has ever been made in response to the Senate 

 and House resolutions has been a brief one referring to the effect 

 of concentration of stumpage ownership in a few hands, but not- 

 withstanding the importance and value in the report on standing 

 timber and its value to the country, and the efifect of stumpage 

 value on the price of lumber, the report was not responsive to that 

 part of the Senate resolutions reading: "Said investigation and 

 inquiry should be conducted with the particular object of ascertaining 

 whether or not there exists among any corporations, companies or 

 persons engaged in the manufacture or sale of lumber any combina- 

 tion, conspiracy, trust agreement or contract, intended to operate in 

 restraint of lawful trade or conunerce in lumber or to increase the 

 market price of lumber in any part of the United States." 



In the meantime the lumber industry pleads in vain for a verdict. 

 Getting elected or re-elected to office is a matter of more particular 

 moment to politicians at the present time than dispensing justice to 

 anyone. Seeing that many of these gentry are not re-elected is 

 the first duty of lumbermen. 



^UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL^ 



Cfje (George %)tnkt Companp 



Bait iBaunfartunrs Carar 



Ca Srrkmaii SHrrrt 



Forcing His Hand 



The National Lumber Manu- 

 facturers ' Association, through 

 its manager, is really attempting 

 to force the hand of the Presi- 

 dent, in an endeavor to secure 



from the Department of Commerce and Labor, a report in response 

 to the resolutions adopted by the United States Senate and the 

 House of Representatives, requesting an investigation of the so- 

 called lumber trust, which resolutions were adopted in December, 

 1906. 



President Griggs, the other officers and the Board of Governors 

 have written a very forceful letter to the President, calling attention 

 to the resolutions adopted, and stating that the manufacturing lum- 

 ber industry of the country has now been under indictment for 

 nearly five years, and practically demands a speedy report from the 

 Department of Commerce and Labor, involving the results of this 

 five years' investigation. 



President Taft acknowledged receipt of the communication and 

 turned it over to the secretary of Conmierce and Labor for reply. 

 Secretary Xagle responds by excusing himself and the department 

 for its dilatoriness, and practically replies that he will make a re- 

 port when he gets time to do so. 



In the meantime recurring attacks upon the integrity of the lum- 

 ber industrj-, and necessarily upon individuals composing it, 'f false 

 would have been impossible if the Department of Commerce and 

 Labor had performed its duty to Congress, the people and the indus- 

 try; and if true, would have been unnecessary or would have been 

 fortified and justified by current facts as developed in a government 

 investigation most costly in time and money. 



New York. Sept. 15, 1911. 

 Mr. Henry H. Gibson. 



HARDWOOD RECORD. Chicago. 



Dear Sir: I am always on the lookout for the bi- 

 monthly copies of HARDWOOD RECORD, and the writer 

 takes these copies home that he may have the undis- 

 turbed pleasure of carefully looking over the contents. 

 I assure you its pages, from beginning to end, are re- 

 ceiving close scrutiny, and I always receive much pleas- 

 ure from what information I can gather about lumber- 

 men, etc. I am quite sure that there is hardly an issue 

 in which I do not find Items which alone pay many times 

 over for the small subscription price of $2.00 which you 

 are asking. 



GEORGE HENKE. 



Vindicated 



Hardwood Record in its issue 

 May 10, 1911, in referring to the 

 attacks on Edward Hines of Chi- 

 cago, made the following state- 

 ments and prophecies: 



First : That the nttcmpt to 

 blacken the character of Edward 

 Hines is a part of a diabolical plot 

 on the part of a Chicago newspaper 

 to ruin every man who has had 

 the courage to stand up for. Lori- 

 mer, whose scalp it Is after, and 

 that there is no real evidence yet 

 presented or ever will be that Mr. 

 nines contributed a dollar to the 

 election of William Lorlmer, or 

 that he even knew of the existence 

 of a slush fund. 



Secoxd: That at its forthcom- 

 ing annual meeting to be held in 

 Chicago on May 24 and 2D, the 

 National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association will pass a vote of un- 

 qualified confidence in Edward 

 nines. 



Tuibd: That the innocence of 

 Edward nines in the matters re- 

 ferred to will shortly be placed in 

 the form of such clear and indis- 

 putable evidence as to convince 

 every lumberman in this country of its truth. 



The first statement has been pretty thoroughly demonstrated, and 

 what it lacks of complete demonstration speedUy will be forthcoming. 

 The second prophecy was fulfilled not only by the unanimous vote 

 of confidence of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association at 

 the time stated, but a similar exhibition of belief in the integrity of 

 Mr. Hines has been reiterated by the National Wholesale Lumber 

 Dealers' Association in convention assembled, and by several other 

 leading building woods organizations. 



The third prophecy has been fully fulfilled, from the fact that on 

 March 28, 1912, the Dillingham Senatorial Committee, which had in 

 charge the investigation of the charges against Senator Lorimer, 

 without a dissenting vote, passed the following resolution: 



"It is not proved that Edward Hines received $100,000 or any 

 other sum, or that he contributed any sum whatever to aid in or 

 obtain the election of William Lorimer to the United States Senate. 

 The evidence is that he did not raise, contribute to or ex-pend said 

 sum or any sum of money whatsoever to aid or assist improperly in 

 the election of Senator Lorimer." 



This is the first time in the history of the United States Senate 

 that a duly constituted committee has deemed it a duty to make a 

 declaration in justice to a citizen unjustly maligned before it. 



Mr. Hines is justly proud and happy at thus being honored and 

 vindicated by a nonpartisan committee of the United States Senate. 



