The daily gazette., 1883-02-21

LCOnEreSslOnai necOfu.l
Mr.. Cox of New York; think the COM
mittee has not as yet been fully advised as
TO the vast importance of our forests Not
withstanding the comprehensive statement
of my distinguished friend from Indiana
CMr. Holman) much may be said of the
necessity of forest protection in the better
sense of the word.
We have some millions Of hands engaged
directly or indirectly In making lumber.
The annual product Of the raw material, as
get 1t from Prof. Sargent's able article in
the North ADleried1 ReBieS for October,
1882, reaches $3.50 000,0 900. That has been
our product or result Of this indu stry. But
after ALL as this Professor says In his article,
| the main object Of the protection Of our for
estry is that the forests have much to do
with the flow Of our rivers, with the modif-
cation of the temperature of our country
| 1t has very much TO do with the great dis
tress that is now upon our people in
the terrible frestets that have devastated
in the last few days the Ohio Valley
| from Pittsburg to Shawneetown. Unwisely,
we have permitted vast and wanton
destruction to take place. If we are not
heedful and precautions we will be prema-
turely old and worn; we shall be In the con-
dition Of Oriental countries, which are
| almost totally denuded of their forests and
are consequently parcbed, calcined desola-
tion. These lands were once fragrant with
the vine and fruitful with the olive. They
are now barren and dreary by the fires and
| ruin of forests, by the capital error which
was committed in the rearward of their his
tory. And, sir, because men have impru-
IDENTIFY cut down the forests, which destroyed
the ornamentation as well as fruitfulness
of those lands, they are the abodes of owls
aud jackals, and the very soil has had the
degradation which has fallen upon the popu-
lAtiOns.
The main point, therefore, in my opinion,
with reference to the pending schedule is
| that the material from these forests should
be placed upon the free list. Whyl Be
cause we may save our own forests by the
importation of cheap lumber-lumber from
/ over our border. By tariff we close our
: ports to competition; we hold out, as is pro
posed here, a large premium for theii
wanton and hurried destruction. 1t Is the
old fable of the golden egg.
5 To be sure. west Of Winnipeg TO the
: Pacific we are exporting and furnishing tim
Der for the British colonies. From Winni.
peg east the timber we cut remains here
it does not go TO Canada. There is no rea
sou why there could not be perfect mutu-
} ality between the two countries. This
would be beneficial to both. We can trade
: as well will the Dominion Of Canada al
New York can trade with Pennsylvania.
: speak therefore,in in the interest of Kansal
/ as well as New York when | say that timber
is almost as indispensable as bread. 1t /,
used in everything that we have In life. Il
it not intelligence Our very paper is made
Z from the wood pulp Of New England. Is 4
a not food The very mills In which oul
D grain is ground come from the great forests
n | of the Northwest. Is II not shelterl OuI
, houses Verywhere-perhaps three fourth,
of their entire cost is that of the lumber.
( And when the gentleman from Kansas, al
! he has spoken here SO well, speaks for tim
+ Der 20 make the houses and fences for tht
! farmers upon the great prairies, he speak
for light, food, shelter The imperial city
of New York, with her ,200, 900 population
4 which | represent in part, are living II
houses Their erection, their repairs, theil
: rebuilding require . t quantities oflumber
4 You have no right against their will TO maxi
their houses dearer and their rents higher
+ by these burdens on the materials of theil
a repair and construction. We have righ
q to demand of this Congress-nay, sir, OIL
behalf of the fifty odd millions Of men
:" women and children who live In houses,
o demand the right, without hindrance of
paternal government, to buy their lumbe
,e where they can get 1t the cheapest and tn
"a best, and that, sir, without limit or stin
: from any quarter, however local or selfish
ID An augmentation is made here for dea
te timber 1t comes from Michigan 1t come
Of from Maine it comes from Wisconsin 1
,r part. The argument, therefore, is a locs
= one do not complain of gentlemen givin
u voice TO these old shrieks of locality. The
e. are as old as human sin ; they are selhst
E. ness incarnate. We all have them. PEI
"a haps [ have one on behalf of the body
1, the people. On behalf Of the mer
~ women and children who live more or let
u surrounded by wood from their cradles t
a their coffns, / ask for free timber