22 THE AMES FORESTER 



business situation. Whether combination among lumber opera- 

 tors would result in the adoption of more efficient accounting 

 methods or better machinery is perhaps not quite certain, but 

 there might be some gain here. 



There is thus something to be said for the economies of com- 

 bination even in the lumber business. It should of course be 

 noted that while the lumber industry presents examples of a 

 great many different kinds of combination, most of the lumber 

 associations are not closely knit organizations, many of them 

 not strong enough to secure all of 4he advantages possible to 

 effective combination. 



Even if we admit the desirability of breaking up these com- 

 binations, there still remains the question as to the possibility 

 of doing it. As indicated in the preceding chapter monopo- 

 listic combinations have existed in most fields of the lumber 

 industry, often strong enough to raise prices materially; and 

 in spite of the activity of Federal and State prosecuting agents, 

 many of these combinations still exist. Most of them have 

 altered their form of organization or their scheme of opera- 

 tions; others have been weakened; but many are still strong 

 enough to manipulate prices to their own profit, and, from 

 evidence at hand, are doing it. The Government has certainly 

 not been entirely successful in its policy of breaking up lumber 

 combinations, and there is no reason to believe that it will be 

 in the immediate furture. 



Some success, however, has certainly been achieved. No stu- 

 dent of the recent history of the lumber business can fail to 

 concede that the vigilance of the Federal and State govern- 

 ments has broken up some of the worst forms of monopoly 

 activity; has driven some illegal combinations to cover; and, 

 perhaps more impotent than all, has to some extent prevented 

 the formation of others. Monopolistic activities have been, to 

 say the least, more difficult since 1906; and some that were 

 possible before that date, have been impossible since. It is 

 doubtful whether the lumber industry as a whole is as strongly 

 organized now (1915), as it was ten years ago. The decision 

 in the Missouri ouster suit for instance, was a crushing blow to 

 the yellow pine ring ; and the provisions of the verdict rendered 



