The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-03-30
Lumber Should be Free.


Mr.. CUTcHEoN, who represents in Con-
gress the great lumber-produclng region Of
western Michigan, appeared the other day
before the Committee Of Ways and Means to
protest against placing Canadian lumber
upon the free list. In the course Of his re-
marks this picturesque statement fell from
his lips:
Take my town. II has about 100 inhabitants
ana every soul In IT, from the nswsboy aud the bootback
the street to tho doctor OF divinity his pulpit
lawyer In his office and tho editor In his sanctun do
pendent upon lumber. We have other productive In.
dustry. We eat lumber. drink lumber. sleep on
lumber we wear lumber we ride on lumber. The lun.
Der cut Of Michigan last would make cargoea
~ M average Of 2oO0O feet EACH 5000 railroad
trains carrying 10000 feet each. Ny estimate
wond I've that fully three fourths OF the freight on
the north and south railroads 10 lumber freight-lunber
products In short It 10 deliberate conviction that
of the 1900 90 people who inlabit the State Of Michi
ran one.nfth. IOOO souls dependent for their
daily bresi upon the lumber industry either procur
ing tho material, in running the logs in towing
looming manufacturing shipping carrying. and sell
Ing. In supplying those who carry these opera.
lions"
Tho member from Manistee supplies q
ssrong and convincing argument against
the policy Of excluding Canadian pine from
our markets by an import duty. The pine
cut Of Michigan last year probably exceeded
five billion feet, including shingles and laths.
Mr.. Horn, another Michigan Representative,
who has also appeared before the Committee
on Ways and Means, states that there is still
growing in Michigan seventy-five billion feet
Of pine. Much better informed persons,
however, estimate the quantity to be hardly
thirty billions; and 1t is doubtful II there ia
even anything like that quantity left stand
ing in the two peninsulas. In period OF
time, therefore. which may vary according
to the rate Of production from five to ten, or
pine forests will have disappeared.
The four hundred thousand persons who
now derive their existence from these forests
will be left without occupation; and nothing
will be left for the hundreds OF steam and
sailing vessels now engaged In a profitable
trade to carry. Several thousand miles OF
railroads will find that they have lost
their chief business. The representatives
in Congress OF these industries, the
natural protectors OF these four hundred
thousand people, demand, nevertheless, that
tho duty upon lumber shall DO maintained
In order to stimulate the production to the
utmost; in other words, they wish to hasten
the timo when the State Of Michigan and
large part OF its population will be ruined.
Free competition with the Canadian forests
will not prevent the destruction Of the Mich
igan pine; 1t will. however, check production,
end put of for several years tho fatal day
whca our forests cease to yield white pine
lumber.
Tho people Of Michigan and Of the other
piuc States have allowed theInselyes n, he
blinded and controlled by the men who own
the pine lands and rulo their States with
rod OF IRON Congress should come to tho
assistance Of this down-trodden population.
1t Is the people who use tie lumber, tho
farmers who want to fence their farms, tho
mechanics and the laborers who want tn
build cheap houses, the people who as Mr..
CUrCHKON explains, obtain their support
from the forests these are the people who
want protection, and not the men who con-
troll the pine lands. They have seen their
property, which they were wise enough to
secure early, double in value In their hands,
and then double again within a few years,
and even In some cases become worth ten
times the sum it cost originally The own
ers OF white pine lands have an absolute
monopoly. They control the entire supply,
and the demand is fast increasing. A good
reason for making this monopoly harder for
the people to bear by stimulating import
duty will hardly occur to any sensible per-
son, unless he is lucky enough to be an owner
Of pine lands. Under the exhilarating infiu-
ence Of such good fortune 1t Is not easy. per-
hsps, to be either reasonable or logical.