The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-03
ON THEFREELIST
PROTEST OF TIE CONVENTION OF
The LUMBERMEN.

sentatives Adopted The Industry
the Largest Single Manufacturing
Industry of the Country-S75oIooo,-
900 Of Money Invested and 3,ooo,-
900 Men Employed.
! WASHINGTON, March 2.-Ths lumber
mems convention, In session here to-day, by
a unanimous vote adopted a report Of the
committee on resolutions. It is addressed
70 the House Of Representatives, and after
showing that the convention represents the
interests of the lumber manufacturers aud
wholesale lumber dealers of the United
States, and stating that the convention was
called to consider the bill introduced by Mr..
Bryan Of Nebraska, placing lumber on the
tree list. The report reads as follows:
l. The lumber industry of the United States
is the largest single manufacturing industry
Of the country. representing an investment
of capital of not less than $3.50. 900. 200. and
| furnishing the means Of livelihood to at least
! 100000 Of our people. In this connection
| it is proper 20 invite your attention to the
fact that all the official statistics heretofore
published have simply oomprehended the
m anufscture Of lumber by milling estab-
| lishments only. the cutting of trees and
i transportation to the mills never having been
included.
| 2 The total manufactured products Of the
saw-mills of the country amount in the ag-
gregate to at least $500 900 900 annually
/ equal In value to the total products Of all
the mines of the country, including gold,
silver, copper, lead iron, coal and all other
| minerals.
8. Our production is distinctively manu-
| featured article and not raw material and
q very large percentage of it is used directly
in the construction Of buildings in the form
in which it leaves the mills. and the princi-
pal element of its cost is labor.
4. The industry we represent is not con-
| fined TO any one state or section OF the
country, but extends from Maine to Cali
fornia and from the great lakes to the
| Gulf Of Mexico. For this reason it
is entirely incapable of consolidation
or combination in the form of trusts or other
| organizations against the interests of con.
! sumers; and for the same reason the keenest
competition, which is always producer of
| low values, exists. Our resources.and pro-
| ducing capacity are and will fully be equal
| TO the present as well as to the ultimate de-
mands Of our people; in fact we now export
forest products to the amount Of $26, $685.
| OLA.
5. By the bill referred to it is supposed to
| improve the favorable conditions under
| which a Canadian manufacturer is enabled
| TO compete with us In the markets of the
world. Some Of these conditions are as
follows:
q. None of the standing timber Of Brit
fish America is owned in fee simple by the
| lumberman, but IL is obtained by payment
TO the respective provincial governments OF
nominal sum, as royalty, so that he has
no investment whatever in the timber
lands and pays no taxes or interest thereon.
he simply pays the government a certain
sum for ths privilege OF controlling the
timber limit.
b. In British Columbia stumpage is now
offered at Oh cents per thousand, payable
when the timber is cut aud in case the
product is exported a rebate Of so per cent.
is allowed by the government
C. Its the policy of provincial govern
ments to aid and encourage the manu-
facture Of foreist products by the construc-
ton othighways, removal Of distractions
from the streams. the construction of dams,
chutes, fumes, docks and other appliances
| for the transportation of lumber and logs.
d. In addition to the foregoing Rdvan-
| tages enjoyed by Canadian lumbermen the
| cost of camp supplies and provisions are 25
| per cent. less than in the states and the scale
of wages is correspondingly less. The effect
| OF these and other conditions place the
| Canadian producer at an advantage over
his American competitor, the only protec-
l ton to whom is the American tariff
D. The advantages above enumerated held
| by the Canadian over the American pro-
ducers are equal to at least 81 per thousand,
| and the taxes, interest," on Investment, to-
| gether with the risks to which the Ameri-
can producer is exposed from wind, fire and
| floods are equal to another 81 per thousand.
z. The price of American labor during
the last ten years has gradually declined
] until it has reached point in the down
ward trend Of prices below which it is i'm
| possible for the American manufacturer to
| 60 In view Of this fact we submit that the
| present American tariff should be allowed
| to remain as 1t is; and we further submit
that In case the duty is removed one of
| two results must follow, either the
| present price of the Canadian stumpage
| will be advanced so that the American con-
| sumner will reap no advantage whatever
and at the same time the government lose
| the revenue which it now derives from
lumber imported from Canada, or the
prices from American lumber will be re-
dueed, which will compel corresponding
| reduction OF the wages now paid to Ameri-
can laborers employed in this country.
8. The present duty of 81 per thousand
does not exceed 10 per cent. ad valorem.
Unless the entire policy of encouragement
| to American industries is to be abandoned
no one should suggest the imposition of a
lower rate than this.
.. The summing up of this whole case
presents the question, shall the forest re-
sources of Canada and British Columbia be
developed while those of our own country
(the Pacific and southern states in particu-
lar) lie dormantg Or shall this vast in
dustry in our country enjoy TO a limited
extent the protection which the present
duty affords? and the question Ia its entire
breadth also presents the fact that the bill
against which we now protest proposes
to open the entire northern boundary OF
the United States from sea TO sea to the
forest productions of the British possessions
in North America. Ignoring the extensive
interests not only of our resources along our
middle and eastern border now being oper-
ated, but 'crlppling the vast interests of the
Pacific slope and the rich forests covering a
vast area of our southern states, the iufiu-
ence of which is awakening the most seri-
Gus apprehensions of thousands who have
invested their all In purchasing the stump
age from the same government through
which it is now proposed to discriminate so
unjustly against them, aud to the irrepar-
able injury of hundreds of thousands of
laborers holding allegiance to the United
STATES government and giving preference to
foreign labor and capital that contributes
nothing to our institutions or country's
wealth.
IT is therefore resolved, That we respectfully
and earnestly protest against the removal
of the present duty on lumber.
Several addresses were delivered, when