The Portland daily press., 1884-03-06
MAINE LUMBER INTERESTS.
Row They WonId be Affected by lEorri-
sens Biii-Arguments by Congressnaen
ASeed and Bouteiie.


WAsHINaToN. Mar. 4.-Cougressmen Reed
and Boutelle OF Maine and Cutcheon of Michi-
gan appeared before the ways and means COM
mittee this morning in opposition to free lum-
ber. Mr.. Reed made very clear, ,succinct state
ment, in which he set forth the magnitude of
the lumber industry In Maine and the injury
which the proposed act would cause. He said
that one-eighth of the capital invested in
manufactures In Maine is in the lumber In
dnstry, and that that industry covers one-half
OF the area Of the State. Therefore the farmer
and the tradesman as well as the lumberman
are interested in the lumber manufacture. He
said further that Maine would lose the entire
advantage secured by the treaty OF Washing
ton, which enabled them to float lumber down
the St. John and St Croix, and remport It
without payment Of duty. This right was
given as partial compensation of loss of ter.
ritory under the Ashburton treaty, and this
was valuable to the people OF. the State. The
industry lay at the foundation not mer ely OF
the prosperity, but perhaps of the very ex-
istence Of a large part OF the State Depres-
sion In that business would be depression in
every other. When logging ceases, not only
are the lumbermen thrown out OF employ
ment, but the farmer who feeds them has no
market for his product, and the whole com
muDity is thrown into distress He desert bed
the distress caused by the Temporary depres-
sion In the lumber business in 1878, ana said
that II temporary suspension like tbat pre-
dnced such distress, what must be the effect of
destruction2 He said that sll the loose talk
about floods being caused by the destruction
of forests, even II true elsewhere, had no ap-
plcation to Maine, for there the growth of
each year is cut in one wear, and the business
is IS regular ss the raising of any other crop.
Mr.. Boatelle, who represen very large
portion of the numbering interests of Maine.
said he would regard himself as derelict in his
duty il he failed to make some sort OF protest
sgainst the prooosed action, which threa tens
not simply a leading industry in bis own Sec
tion, but the principal industry upon which
his people depend. In that district great
many more peopla are directly interested In
the manufacture of lumber than those who
work III mills and who drive the logs daring .
large portion of the year. The farmers, after
putting away their crops ia tne fall, go into the
woods and spend the winter in cutting aod
hauling timber. Iu regard to the duty of pre-
serving forests Mr.. Bouielle said he did not |
know that it was particularly tue duty of the
people OF Maine TO sacrifice their pr operty or
lail TO utilize 1t because of the fears Of some |
people elsewhere chat forests we're be ng cur
down too fast The bast way to preserve the |
forests is to nourish them. The greatest cara |
s taken i'll " aine to preserve the forests, and |
people who own timber land will not permit |
rees to be cut that are not ripe Trees are |
selected carefully By expert need woodmen |
and marked. A large part of the forests in |
Maine is spruce timber, which renews itself |
about once in twenty years In regard TO stop
ping foods by preserving the Maine forests.
Mr.. Boutelle said he could Lot see what par
icnlar advantages was t, be derived from stop |
ping the eating of timber on the Maine side |
u the St John and stimulating the cutting OF |
imber on toe Canadian side. just what |
.Hect that would have upon the fl aoods coming /
lown the st. John river it was difficult TO per-
;sive. Mr.. Boutele expressed the opinion |
hat there is more timber actually standing iu |
he timber portion OF Maine to-day that there |
vas twenty years ago. The average sFumpaee |
# snruce Is worth from $1.75 TO So thousand |
price of the raw material |
hat is obliged to compete with Sla Y y !ap9fF
q New Brunswick.