The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-09-08
The Minis Bin and maine Industries

U n0 Wtlti3 Dill dUQ WvdtT6 tuQQStIt0Ss
In speech recently delivered by one Of the
Republican leaders in Maine we find him reported
as saying. that proper designation Of the mills
aoue u o Se D
for the destruction OF the material interests OF
paper making or wood pulp interests of Maine,
which are certainly very important. the above
statement Is not, IN our opinion, true.-[S. ID.
Nobody knows the facts better than SD Warren
& Co. They say the statement is not true; and in
the interests Of truth they do not hesitate to pub
licly brand 1t for what it really is-a falsehood.
Doesno Mr.. Reed know it is untrue? Did he
not know 1t when he uttered it?--Argus.
Does not the Argus know that the words
attributes to Mr.. Reed in the above para
graph were never used by him? Does not
the Argus know that they were used by Mr..
Blaine, and that in public speech delivered
the day before the above was published. q
report of which was in the Argus office, he
ackno wledged using them? We are reluctant
to accuse our esteemed contemporary of de-
liberate and wilful Misrepresentation but
we are bound to say that there is in this case
strong circumstantial evidence that the Argus
put these words into Mr.. Reeds mouth well
knowing that they we're not his.
So much on this point. Now is this char
acterization Of the Mills bill as measure
for the destruction of the material interests
Of Maine an improper and untruthful de-
scription Of it? Certainly not. On the con-
traryit is truthful and accurate description
of it. twill not destroy all the material
interests Of Maine, neither did the disastrous
frost of Thursday night destroy all the corn
and squashes in this State, yet, we imagine
neither the Messrs. Warren nor the Portland
Argus would undertake to characterize an
assertion that that frost was destructive of
the material interests of Maine as false
hood or untrue. There are some inter-
ests in Maine which the Mills bill does not
affect at all. There are others which it af-
fects only lightly. Among these is the paper
making business. AS originally introduced
the Mills bill put wood pulp on the free list.
This would have been killing blow to one
of Names greatest industries. But for some
probably because too many Demo-
Gratis would be unfayorably affected by it
this section was withdrawn and in the bill as
framed wood pulp appears protected by the
present rate Of duty. On paper the reduc-
ton is very slight-on some kinds but five
per cent, on others but three per cent. and
on Others nothing at all. So that it is true
that so far as the paper making business is
concerned the effect Of the Mills bill will be
very slight.
But paper making is but one of Names
industries. Let us see how others have
been treated. Lumber is placed on the free
list In other words the Maine lumberman
is subjected TO the destructive competition
Of the Canadian lumbermen. Woolis put on
| the free list. That is the wool raisers of
| Somerset and Franklin counties are exposed
to disastrous foreign competition. Brick
making is an important industry in Maine,
made SO by protection. The Mills bill re-
moves the protection. The manufacture OF
starch is an important industry in Aroostook
county. The Mills hill by removing its pro-
lection, drives it into New Brunswick. The
farmers vegetables and milk and meat are
now protected agoinst the similar products
Of Canada. The Mills bill exposes these to
that ruinous competition. No less than
| fifty-three articles which Maine either man
ufactures or raises are placed upon the free
| list in the Mills bill. Fifty-three Industries
are sacrificed, while one, paper making is
left unexposed. Is not then Mr.. Blaine's
characterization Of the bill as measure de-
structive TO Maine Industries accurate and
| truthful?