The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-02-22
rnE caIoAeo LUMBER coMPAxr

he CHICAGO EuM Der cOAPANY
AT The annual meeting of the Chicago !
lumber Company recently held 81
Il was shown that the CON-
,any had handled during the past year
"a, OO0, 600 feet Of lumber and its trade
vas rapidly increasing throughout I'LL
lois, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Mis-
IourI.
TIE unanimous sense of the meeting
Vas that Canadian lumber should be
placed on the free list. aud Robt. Fuller |
ton, of Dies MONIES. Iowa. Was sent to
10 urge the claims of the
following petition:
CHICAGO, Feb. 5, 1888.
To the Honorable tie Senators and Rep
resentatfves an CORsress assembled:
We, your petitioners, earnestly beg
that IN your wisdom you may see the
prudence and strong neees-
siiy Of of such legislation as will place
Canadian lumber on the free list, and
amend our present tariff laws.
We think, IN view Of the revelations
made by our Federal census of 1880,
WHICH, HOW CNGi NAtSkJ4N-NF t4l5S 10 haA0-
able as basis of Information, we find
from the statistics of forestry that the
entire standing white pine of the United
States is only sufficient to supply our
waBts fifteen years, at the present rate of
consumption. We think the census es-
innate somewhat in error, and we be-
lleve the error was imposed on the Gen.
sus bureau by the reports of the owners
of timber lands, for the direct purpose
of convincing the public that the supply
of our white pine was nearly exhausted,
and as a natural result, pine lands must
rapidly enhance in value, and these
being IN the hands of comparatively
few persons, offer an easy and tempt
ing opportunity 10 monopoly. But the
question of admitting Canadian lumber
to our ports free of duty was not seri-
ousIy thought of at the time our owners
OF growing pine furnished such reliable
information to our census bureau.
Admitting that we have sufficient
white pine to supply our needs for
twenty or twenty five years, surely 1t is
the part of prudence and the duty of
statesmen To make provisions against
such calamity in our new Republic,
with its sparsely settled states and terri
tories, needing, above all things, pine
lumber to build homes for the brave,
civiliZiDg pioneers of treeless plains.
We think there can be no good reason
for taxing any lumber Tin its rough
state) that may come to our ports. OF
course, the people living in the prairie
states are the greatest sufferers from a
short supply of high priced lumber.
Your petitioners would ask your at
tention to the following table of prices,
showing the rapid advance in lumber IN
the past five years,
CHICAGO QUOTATIONS on COMMON
LUMBER.
1873.
stu Iding, iOists and timbers 3 60 10 $ll 90
Common board and fencing 49,. 10 % to II 90
standard shingles .-..----- O. 70 .
1883.
studding. Joists and timbers u 90 to 10 60
Common board and fencing. II 50 70 Is W
STANDARD A shingles .--.--.-.. 2y0 70 = ~
Lath .----.--.. 2 % 10 2I5
Showing an increase of from 45 to 60
per cent. ON common lumber within the
past five years. The upper grades OF
lumber have advanced in still greater
ratio, showing plainly that unless new
markets of supply be opened lumber in
the future will be luxury only attain
able by the rich, while all Improvements
and settlement in new states aud terri
tories must cease.
In fairness TO the men who object to
free lumber, from feeling that it will
greatly and suddenly depreciate their
property In pine lands and logs, we call
your attention to the fact that the entire
present capacity of the saw mills OF
Canada is not OF sufficient volume to
materially lower prices, and 1t Is not so
much to lower present prices as to guard
against continued and ruinOus advances
| in the nrice of huildiuR material so es-
sential To the development and progress
of our country at the mercy of foreign
ers, who control the only available white
| pine accessible to our continent.
Trusting these considerations will
have weight with your honorable body,
and that you will in your wisdom adopt
such measures as will result in placing
| Canadian rough lum Der on the free list
Your petitioners, as lumbermen, deal
ing directly with the people in the states
of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas. Nebraska and
Missouri, and representing the needs of
the people, will ever pray.
Signed by the following gentlemen of
the Chicago Lumber Co.:
NJ. T. Greene, Chicago, Illinois.
Frank Colpetzer, Omaha, Nebraska.
II. F. Cady, Nebraska City, Nebraska.
ii. p. Foster, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Geo. Cross, Auburn, Nebraska.
Robert Pierce, Topeka. Kansas.
g. Guerrier, Emporia. Kansas.
Jno. Bratt, Leavenworth, Kansas.
Geo. Pratt, Wichita. Kansas.
E T. Williamson, Wellington, Kansas.
Fox Winnie, Newton, Kansas.
S. III. Fullerton, BelOit, Kansas.
Jno. NJ. Byrne, Kansas City, Missouri
Robert Fullerton Des Moines, Iowa,