Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-03-31
DUTY on Lumber.


We find in the Congressional Globe
of the I'D inst. the speech oi Hon. John
\. Peters of Bangor on the Tariff bill
then under consideration in the House
Mr.. Peters takes the position that for n
long period hence that resort must be
had 10 a tariff upon imports and that
such taxation must necessarily afford
protection 10 home interests: and while
Maine is Sigh ~ benefited compared
with some of the states. vet for one he
rejoiccs that such laws stimulates all
the interests OF all the States. MIR.
Peters then states that the tariff bill re-
ported July l>t. 1865. proposed duty
on spruce lumber of 81 80 Oh 1000 feet
while The present bill proposes a re-
dnction of 80 cts. per thousand. and
then he makes the following statement
OF the cost OF lumber. W hich will interest
many of our readers:
The value OF spruce log before manu-
facture al Bangor. the largest lumber
depot in Maine. per 900 feet ha- been
for quite a number of wears from sl3 10
Sl6. When manufactured ils value Of
course increases. The present duty of
20 per cent. dd rdiOrem al the place of
Shipment j.. bcsure. on "A basis of gold
But il must be considered, also. that
gold and currency are approaching each
other III value with rapid stride. and
the assessments fixed in this hill. If
passed. will remain Tor a greater period
OF time. II, then. manufactured spruce
at 81. John city. the New Brunsw
market. was worth even $40. the present
tariff would give duty of - per 900.
which rate. under all the circumstances.
as representative of numbering in
terests, | would be glad TO accept. pre-
ferring moderate and permanent,
fixed duty rather than 10 be exposed 10
the risks and alarms Of fluctuations
which would grow out of future agita-
ton. Everybody is aware that invoices
at foreign ports are not what they should
be: but in "A specific duty there eau be
nothing like a. much fraud as is practic-
ed under the nd ratorem system. But
if the tariff upon the spruce Of New
Brunswick cannot be - al least. far
better for us of Maine that the Kind and
amount of duty should remain rs il is
While the average OF duties under our
tariffs has been reckoned to be rs high
as 40 or 30 per cent, lumber bears n
duty OF less than half the average bur
den, and - upon spruce would be less
even than that.
| have dwelt upon the duties on
spruce. Maine is interested much more
III that than other sorts of lumber. Out
OF about three thousand cargoes shipped
annually Tor several years past from the
port OF Bangor, averaging more large
than small shipments, more than three
fourths OF the quantity have been spruce
Therefore INV constituents and the leo
pie of Maine, from tie woodsman who
traverses the forest to the sailor who
trayerses the sea. are more interested in
having fair and equitable duty on
spruce than all other sorts of lumber
whatever.
The bill proposes a uniform duty on
pine of g per 900. But this dcscrip-
ton OF lumber is more variable i'm value
and quality than any other. 1t is worth
in Bangor market from Sl2 to five times
Sl2 per 1000. Ii 81 will do OH the pine
worth SIP. will it be enough on pine
worth $50! Will the importer be likely
10 import thf cheaper or the more valua-
ble qualities? The duty on pine should
he graded or remain dd rdi0rem~ On
pickets aud palings the bill proposes 81
per l,Oot feet, but pickets and palings
IN the market spoken of are worth from
- 10 SZ5. varying in price according to
the kindand quality of wood from which
they are manufactured. On pine and
spruce clapboards duty of 80 Der cent.
Of value is proposed. This is better than
the specific duties upon the other lum-
bcrs as reported in the bill.
But. sir, the free list touches us.
HemlOck bark and extract OF hemlock
to be free! Will they not bear some
duty? 1t is an immensely extensive and
wonderfully cheap product, as vet, in
The forests of Maine and Of some other
States. Logs and unmanufactured sim-
Der to be tree! The Dominion OF Canada
now has an export duty ola dollar upon
these articles. Is it better that she
should have sn export profit rather than
that we should have an import duty on
the sane?
1t was argued by the gentleman fro
New York, Mr.. BR0OKs,] and the same
argument has been elsewh here advanced,
that the American forests have been 60
severely taxed by numbering that there
y danger Of IN exhaustion; and for such