Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-23

woodmen on one side of the line than on
the other; then let us assume that a
cargo of lumber from Oregon and a cargo
from Canada, can be landed at San Pedro
for the same price, provided it is admitted
free of dutv, and that the lumber mer-
chants of Los Angeles can sell the lum-
Der in Los Angeles after paying all ex-
penses at just 500 per thousand and
made fair profit on the capital invested, :,
it follows OF course that all the lumber
brought from Canada after paying ~ per
thousand, tariff would have to be sold
at $22 per thousand. The lumber
merchants here if they see fit can by get
| ting their lumber from the forests of the
United States, practically shut out all
competition from Canada, but not being
satisfied with a fair profit, they form a
combination with the mills of the red
| wood forests of California and pinneries
Of Oregon, and not permitting the sup
ply and demand to control the market as
| it does wheat, corn and other produc-
tions that the farmer raises and has to
submit to, they fix rate at
which lumber shall be sold.
After having fixed as high
a rate as their consciences will
allow, they say to Canadian lumber deal
ers, you can send in all the lumber you
desire, and so long as you sell at our
prices we will protect you; but if you
attempt to cut our prices you know the
consequences. AS no one engages in
that business unless he can make some
profit, the Canadian lumber dealer
knows that should he land n ship-load of
lumber at San Pedro and attempt to cut
the prices, the combination would drop
lumber below what he could afford to
sell it, and thus financially ruin him,
therefore he is compelled to keep up the
price. By putting lumber on the free
list gives the lumber dealers of both
countries an equal chance the merchant
can lead his ship in Canada and land it
San Pedro and say have lumber for
sale, | only want fair profit and l pro-
pose to sell it at $40 per thousand feet. |
This will bring lumber down to fair, |
legitimate price. Let the Mills bill be-
come law, and it will do more to break !
down these gigantic lumber trusts than
all the other laws that can be passed by
Congress in the next twelve months.
What is true of lumber may be said of
all raw materials and necessaries. Admit |
lumber free and you will hear the sound |
of the saw and the hammer in Los
Angeles as you never heard it before. !
The carpenter will take his tools from
his dingy chest, and with merry
heart make music with this plane, the
plasterer will more cheerfully sing his
song as he spreads the white cement the
painter with brush in hand as he follows
the designs OF his artistic eye will
more beautify the little cottage and
decorate the gaudy mar sion; the mason
with his trowel will lay the foundations,
build the solid wall and raise high the
tall and stately chimney; the hod car
rier's load will be lighter as he mounts
the slender ladder; the timer, plumber
and drayman all will find work to do,
and all over the city will be busy scene
of workmen.
81 came here from Indiana, that noble
state with her vast forests; but there
too, like California, the eager grasp of
moropolists, with their powerful combi-
nations, are beginning to control the en-
tire lumber trade, and lumber is grad
ually getting higher and higher. But
when next November comes and the
Lightning brings the news across the
Rpcky mountains from oldHoosierdom we
will hear with satisfaction that the farm
ers, mechanics and all classes of laborers
have been awake to their interests, and
that State pride did not have sufficient
influence for them to cast their votes for
that friend OF tine moneyed power, Benja-
min Harrison. What will California do
in this great battle of equal rights for all.
Permit me to again sign
GA Hnocr,,r,