Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1884-05-29
The Lumiber Industry.

Congressman b. NJ. Cutcheen In his
recent speech before the ways and
means committee, presented many facts
and figures which should be carefully
studied by every elamorer for free lum-
Der.
"In 1880 the total value of the lumber
product Of Michigan was $~52,449,928;
the capital invested was $39,260,42S;
wages paid, $685., 905, and the persons
employed in manufacturing were 24,235.
In the whole country the capital invest
ed in the lumber manufacture was 1881,
1922, the persons employed were 147,
1926. and the total value of products was
$233, 26S,729.
In spite of the tariff OF So per thous-
and on lumber, the total value OF i'm
ports of that article from Canada for
the year ending June 80, 1888, was $40,
2S5,63I.
The foregoing statistics show the
manufacture for 1880. The cut OF lum-
Der in Michigan for 1883, as estimated
by the Northwestern LumbermaD, reach
ed 5~,500,000,000 feet. and the number of
persons employed in mills, lumber
camps. and on the river drives and tugs
was about $4,000 men. employed direct.
ly in this industry. If one-half of these
men have families averaging three each
besides themselves, that would be $4,000
in addition to the $4,000 men, or in all
100000 persons directly dependent upon
this industry in Michigan. But the
benefits are not alone confined to those
who are dependent on any industry for
q living. The boarding houses that
board them, the clothiers who clOthe
them, the shOemakers who shoe them,
the merchants who supply them with
groceries, provisions, dry-g0Ods, drugs,
medicine, and hardware, all profit from
this labor. Then there are the mechan-
les who build their houses, the farmers
who raise their food, the teamsters who
haul IL to market, tho masOns, the paint
ers, plasterers, blacksmiths, ETC., who
carry on the machinery Of life. all live
ultimately by their product. Even our
salt industry depends on lumber, for
without the refuse of the mills, at the
present prices, we could not afford TO
make a single barrel Of salt. And then
there is another thing Of great import.
anee, and that is the carrying of this
lumber to market. The lumber cut Of
Michigan last year would make $4,000
cnrgOes of an average Of 100000 feet
6dCU, VI OO,UbO ldlllOdN bIdlHo CdllfluS
100000 feet each. 1t is not too much to
say that of the nearly 100000 Of people
who inhabit Michigan One-ffth, or 400,
600 souls are dependent for their daily
bread upon the lumber industry, either
in procuring the raw material, in run
ming the logs, in towing, booming,
manufacturing, shipping, carrying, and
selling, or in supplying those who carry
on these operations.
1t is the almost unanimous opinion Of
those familiar with the industry that to
put lumber on the free list would BIZ
disastrous not only to the lumber inter-
est itself but to all the allied and depen-
dent Industries, and involves tho whole
social system Of the northwest. No ma
tiOn can be generally prosperous without
diversified industry, and the lumber
trade is a mighty step In this direction.
For every dollar which Michigan farm
ers have paid on account Of the duty on
foreign lumber $50 have been received
by them from having a ready home
market brought TO their very doors.
Notwithstanding reports to the con-
trary, careful estimates show that there
are least 100000, 900 feet Of pine still
standing in the lower peninsula. In
five years this great industry will begin
to fall of, but IL will be the great In
dustry of Michigan for the next 20 years.
In the Dominion of Canada, to-day, there
Is standing pine to the amount of more
than 10O,0O0,0O0.00O feet. Now what are