Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-02-20
no TARIFF FOR SHOOK WANTED.
The Relation of the shook Business to
Real Prosperity.
Sp,cill Correspondence Of the Register

keai Prosperity.
SpyriA Correspondence Of the Register.
RowLESBvRG, W. Va, February l9-l
notice IN Thursday REGISTER that the
shook mems delegation, headed by Hon. b
+ Martin, Of Grafton, and including sew
eral prominent citizens OF this county and
Taylor county, interested in the stsve bus
mess, have visited Washington and pre-
seuted their grievances to the Ways snG
Means Committee. They claim thai the
s COX trade in our State is psralyzed be
cause sugar is shipped from Cuoain gunny
bags instead Ct hogsheads, and they ask
that the proposed reduction OF one fourth
cent per pound in tariff only be made on
sugar shipped in these bags Five OF these
g,lnUy bags hold 1900 pounds and cost
only 81, while hogsheads holding
the same amount cos, s.. Thus the
difference OF one fourth cent in the tariff
would eqlahzs them aud make ii possible
Ter the srook industry TO flourish Or in
o, her words, every man who buys 1850
pounds Of sugar pays ) in order that it
may be shipped in hogshesds and the
stock business m8y thrive.
R5#lesbuFg is the centre Of the great
lumber interests OF Tucker eud Preston
couu;ivs. Shook and stayes have for
gears been hoafed down Cheat river
from the mountains Of Preston and Tucker
aud IT anJ region should be benefited by
the lumber business, this should. We are
perfectly willing that this tax of 81 on
every 1900 pounds OF sugar should be paid
by the people Of our State and other States
if two things can be brought about: First,
that this infant industry Tan after few
years protection &c able to stand alone;
and second, that the people who pay
this good money out OF their pockets to
benefit those engaged in the lumber bust
ness, shall either directly or indirectly re-
ceive an equal benefit in return.
But the fret thing mentioned can never
come to pass. flhe shook industry re-
uuires q tariff OF one-fourth cent per pound
now, it will require more after while, be-
cause a. shock timber becomes scsrcer
more difficult TO obtain and more valuable
the cost OF hogsheads will necessarily be
Greater, while TIE cost OF gunny bags will
not have a like increase IN cost and the
difference will have to be made up in au
increase in the difference Of tariff If the
shook Industry has to be kept up on this
line. it is possible and probable that there
will come u time when every man who
buys sugar will have TO pay twice as much
per pound for it as be would If it were
imported in gunny bags. Then the
shook men have no right to ask for this
difference in the tariff on the ground that
their industry will be able to do without
protection in the future.
| also deny that the shook men nsza right
to ask for this difference in tariff on the
second proposition-thst those who paw
out this 81 On every 500 pounds of sugar
receive 8 Just return. Every one must sd.
nit that those who live in States hundreds
of miles away from shook industries re-
ceiys no return, or if they do, it is infinite.
esimslly small Then the benefit must be
nearly sll 10 thoas living in or near lum,
Der regions. Ii thea To shook industry
will prosper West Virginia, her people
should not seriously object even if the peo-
PIE of other States do pay money out of
their pockets to benefit our State. But
taking Preston, Ticker, and Taylor coun-
ties as a representative lumber district of
West Virginia, deny that it is g benefit
even 70 our State. have noticed carefully
the workings o. the lumber business in
Preston and Tucker sountias, and while
there have been benefits to many, yer toe
people in general have uot been benefited.
| know scores OF mea who we're prosperous
farmers before they embarked in the shook |
Many Of them sold their 6ne
,sk timber to companies for a mere song
md then neglected their farms, hired out .
heir sons, themselves aud their teams to