f,J. S. Treasury Department Takes Stand Against Russian Convict Labor

The United States Treasury Department, under pressure brought for the past year by the organized lumber industry of the United States, has finally acted to bar the importation into the United States of Russian lumber. Nothing is said about Russia or any other country in the new regulations. But lumber manufactured by convict labor is named and barred from entry, and since convict labor is known to be very generally used through the lumbering sections of Russia, it rvill be up to the importers themselves to prove that any lumber they ofier for entry was not manufactured in some manner by convicts. The burden of proof is placed upon the importers by the regulations promulgated.

The National Lumber Manufacturers Association has been active in leading the fight for this regulation. Russian lumber, manufactured largely by convict hbor from stolen timber, is hardly fair competition for American lumber, according to the beliefs of the lumbermen.