The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-07-26
Log Rolling in Congress.

During the debate in congress on
the Mills bill, Gen. Weaver got in the
following center shot on the lumber
tariff:
Mr.. Weaver. | wish to submit n
few remarks in reply to the three gem
tleuen from Maine. ] have before
me report No. 4i73. second session
Fortyninth Congress, made by the
committee on Ways and Means. upon
a bill introduced by the gentlemen
from Maine lMr. Boutellel to allow a
drawback upon imports OF lumber
and building material used by persons
in the city OF Eastport, Maine, who
had suffered from fire. ! will read
the bill. it is very short:
BE it enacted, etc. That there shall
no allowed and paid. under such reg
NATIONS as the Secretary Of the Treas
urv shall prescribe, all materials ac-
tualiy used in buildings erected on
the ground burned over by the fire
which occurred at Passport, Maine,
October Il. 1886, a drawback on the
import duties paid on same; Provtd-
ed. That such materials shall nave
been imported and used during the
term Of two wears from and after the
said 14th day Of October. 1885.
This bill was introduced by the gen
tlemen from Maine, and its passage
was urged by him, both before the
committee and in the House. 1t es-
tablishes this fact, that there was a
conviction in his mind nj that tim time
that the duty upon lumber enha''ced
the price to the consumer.
Mr. Hatch. There can be no doubt
about that.
Mr.. Weaver. It establishes, Sec
ondly. that he CONSIDERS. i was
good thing for poor people in trouble
financially to have lumber on the
free list
[Applause.l
Now there are great many people
all over my State who would like to
have cheap lumber as well as the peo-
pie OF Eastport, Maine.
NJ. Rontelle rose.
Mr.. Weassp. have no time to
yield to the gentlemen fro,H Mime.
The gentleman from Maine Mr..
DinRieyl Assures the House that logs
and round timber are on the free list.
That Is true-and who gets the hene.
fit OF it?
The American mill-owner imports
his logs from Canada free, converts
them into lumber. and sells it at the
tariff price TO my constituents
lLaughter.]
Mr.. Rogers. 'Log-rolling.'
Mr.. Weaver. Yes, Mr.. Chairman
that is log-rolling, as suggestedby thu
gentleman from Arkansas, and log
rolling against the interest of IN.
constituents.
Now, wish to call the attention o
the gentlemen to the fact that tn
law Of 1888 also puts railroad ties Q
wood on the free-list, The railroad
buy them ready hewn in Canada, made
| by cheap Canadian labor. ship then
over here by the million, and thu
they obtain cheap ties for their roads
But they are unwilling to treat thu
people with fairness. The same Law
puts lumber which my constituent
must use In constructing their hous
es. their granaries, and their barns
on the dutiable list ut rate of fron
q to - per thousand feet. This is an
unmitigated shame. [Applause.1
1t is plain discrimination in favor
of the railroads and against the far.
mers and builders. The bill sir, in a
broad and catholic spirit, treats the
monopolies and the people exactly
alike, 1t puts the lumber Of the poor
man upon the free-list and at the
same time it leaves the railroad tie on
that list also. Applause ]
am astonished ut the strength o.
the opposition to free lumber. 1t In
lures nobody, but treats the people
decentiy and fairly. IApplause.1 /
treats them with q fairness that ha
been denied for aquarter OF ceaturl