Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-10-10
THE LUMBER INTEREST.

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tain region have been in session at Logan
the past few days. The general object
was to consider what measures were best
to be taken to meet the new condition OF
things with regard to the saving of lum-
Der CONSEQUENT upon the order of the Sec
retary of the Interiorsome time ago for
bidding the cutting of timber upon the
public lands. A number of prominent
lumbermen were present, and their chief
desire seemed to be to ascertain what
their rights were, and whether or not
they could cut logs and sell the lumber
manufactured therefrom, when such lum-
Der was not designed for export beyond the
Territory. There seems to be no general
rule by which those desiring to manu-
facture lumber can be guided. Under
Secretary. Teller. the lumbermen were per-
mitted to cut logs and manufacture lum-
ber, but under Secretary Lamar such a
course is declared unlawful. Various
gentlemen there present had been in
formed by Timber Agent Evans that it
was unlawful for them to sell the lumber
they manufactured to the lumber yards
near the mills. 1t seems to be admitted
on all hands that man may go into the
mountains and cut logs and saw them
into lumber for his own use, but how
many can afford to purchase mill
plant costing twenty or twenty
five thousand dollars to manufac-
ture a few thousand feet OF lumber i?
Such lumber would be about as expen-
sive as wheat raised on scientific farms.
committee of six was appointed to cor
respond with the Secretary of the In
terror to ascertain what the rights of the
lumbermen are, and for other purposes.
Whatever answer may be given by the
Secretary, it should be clear and distinct
and printed as circular letter for gen.
eral guidance. The matter is one of i'm
portance to all the ctizeus of the Terri
tory, and the citizens OF adjoining Terri
tories.
In the call that was addressed to the
lumbermen to meet in convention, there
are one or two things that should not go
unnOticed and without condemnation for
they SAVIOR entirely too much of dema-
gogy. The parts referred to are these:
The lumber interest of Utah employs sew
eral thousand men every season and while
1t would work great hardship to throw SO
many men out Of employment, for which
they have prepared themselves with teams,
wagons and necessary outfits, and also rem
der 80 much mill property vaiueless, etc.
Better discharge all these men and give
the employment to the Truckee Chinaman,
who work in the mills there, for from that
locality and from other parts must the sup
ply for Utah and other Western Territories
come, II the present government officials
succeed in closing down the mills in the
Territories.
When men embark in any enterpris
they employ laborers to assist them for
the purpose of enhancing their gains and
not for "sweet charity's sake," and the
lumbermen of Utah are no exception.
The reference to the Truckee Cinnamon
was entirely uncalled for, and was merely
the using OF a popular prejudice to create
sympathy. Those who issued the call
may rest assured that the present govern
ment officials have no special desire to
close down the mills in the Territory, and
are merely carrying out their orders from
their superiors. If such stuff as throwing
men out OF employment and letting Tru-
ckee Cinnamon furnish Utah with lumber
is used as aguments to the Secretary of
the Interior, the lumbermen of Utah
will prejudice a truly meritorious cause.