Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-02-24
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY "a. 1883.
.Ir. HOrr On..Lumber.

Mr. HOrr n.Lumber.
The fight in favor of placing lumber
on the free list was commenced early in
the discussion by Mr.. Holman of In
diana, who Was Immediately replied to
MIR. Horn of Michigan. The feature of
the debate was the speech of Mr.. HOrr,
who gave some very interesting facts
and statistics in regard to the lumber
ing industry in this country. He said:
Last year the state of Michigan alone
manufactured 3,S50,000,000 feet of pine
Lumber. The products of the forests of
Michigan last year, including laths,
shingles, slaves, ETC., amounted to the
enormous sum of $60,000,000. The lum-
her product of the United States as
whole was worth the sum of $230,000,-
600. The value of the mills and lumber
plant in Michigan alone is over $4,000
900; in the entire United States $4,000 :
900. The mills in Michigan employ 81
900 men at an average of so per day, and
the camps employ $4,000 men at all
average of $1.75 per dayIt will thus be
seen that in Michigan there is being
paid out to laborers in this industry,
over 100000 per day. Last year Michi-
gan paid on its lumber industries ST.
500OO0 for labor alone, The United
States paid over $S0,000,000. There
were at work in the United States in
the lumber mills 10000, men, and in the
lumber camps 10000 men. The lumber
interest of the United States last year
bought and consumed $30,000O00 worth
of products of the farm for food for man
and beast. Last year Michigan, Mime
sofa and Wisconsin produced 100000,
600 feet OF lumber. In the northwest
InS 4
shingles There is left in the United
States to-day large amount of standing
pine. On the Lower Peninsula of Mich
igan there are 7000,000000 feet. There
are of standing pine in Michigan, Min
nesOta and Wisconsin, Sl,000,000,00O
feet; in the Southern states the enOr-
nous amount of 230,000,000,000 feet;
in Canada there are only about 10000
OOOOW feet of standing pine. That I'M
ported each year into this country is les
Than 4OO,OO0OOO feet, the revenue from
which amounts to about Sl,0J0000' MI.
HOrr said he had given these facts t.
show the enormous magnitude of thi,
interest. "The question now is why
should there be duty upon this article
The commission recommended keep.
ing the duty on lumber where it is. The
stumpage on lumber in Michigan aver
ages about 81 per thousand. The bulk
of lands in Michigan and Wisconsin
were granted by the government to diff
ferent corporations. In Michigan large
grants were given to the canal company
and four or five railroads running
through the pineries. Very little, if any,
of the pine Of Michigan now left in the
hands of mill men was purchased AT
government price. The lands from
which the manufacturers get their sup
plies have to b. bought at advance rates.
The taxes in Michigan are ten times as
large As they are in Canada. Wages art
30 per cent higher. The price of article
- higher in the United States than III
Canada. AL! farm products are higher"
In regard to the question of preserv-
Ing the forests in Michigan, Mr.. Horn
said they were compelled to lumber
their lands or lose them altogether. "All
through that state settlers are building
up farms. Railroads have been run in
every direction. This causes large fires.
When the timber Is burned it has to b.
numbered within one year or it becomes
worthless. A worm or grub attacks the
tree as soon as 1t commences to die. The
question is not so much how to preserve
the forests as how to preserve
With the tariff on lumber which pro-
tects against the coarse lumber of Cana
da, they can lumber their lands much
more closely than when lumber is low.
1t was stated that lumber was high, but,
asked MIR. HOrr. lis it true that a COun-
try is most prosperous when the prices
of everything is lOw?' He held the con-
trary to be true. Mr. HOrr said that it
has been his aim to stand by from the
start, all the industries of the country.
He had tried to rise above the mere local
advantages. They had been living
TWENTY-FIVE years under the present
tariff system and no other nation could
show such general advancement. No
class of men were more prosperous
porous than the tillers of the soil. They
find ready market and good price
for all they can raise, and they fully un-
@erstand that this state of things ex-
lists on account of the enormous indus.
tries that have grown up and become
prosperous under the present tariff sys
tenn.