Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-03-26
FREE LUMBER.
free Lumber VIII Greatly Increase Our
Exports of Manufacturers Of Wood.

Free Lumber VIII Greatly Increase Our
Exports OF Manufactures of Wood.
The opponents of free lumber, most
ly the northwestern lumber syndicates
and their official and unofficial agents,
insist that a repeal of the duties on this
Jaw material would not affect its price.
Yet they can readily see that the repeal
of the duties on sugar has brought
down the price of that commodity. In
proof OF their assertion, they point to
the fact that the slight reduction of du.
ty on white pine lumber in the McKin-
ley tariff has not reduced the price Of
lumber to the consumer one penny, al
though it has greatly stimulated its inn
portation. Yet. with characteristic
consistency, they assert that a repeal
of the duties would 'paralyze the lum-
Der industry" If, as they claim, a par
tial reduction of duties has not had the
least effect upon the prices of lumber,
what would be likely to be the effect
OF their total repeal?
The facts of the lumber trade show
plainly enough that the duties on this
material are not needed for ~''protec-
ton" but serve only to despoil Ameri-
can consumers. While the total i'm
ports of lumber and its products last
year amounted In value to a little less
than $4,000, 0Oa, the exports amounted
In value to upward of $40, 900, 600 In
1880 these exports exceeded S2S, 600, 600
in value, having since declined, with
other staple exports, under the malign
influence of the Mckinley tariff. But
since the country is able to make these
large exports of wood and its manu-.
features, wherein lies the necessity for
protecting them in the home marketf
1t is not pretended that these exports
are net sent abroad in a profitable
trade; nor can it be pretended that
American consumers would pay less
than foreign consumers for this lumber
If the duty should be removed. Why,
then, should a protective duty be pu,
upon lumber, unless it be for the pur.
pose of plundering home consumers
Not content with the duties on or.
binary grades OF lumber, heavy duties
are imposed on sawn lignumvit@, ebony
rose wood, mahogany and other valu-
able tropical woods used in the manu-.
~facture of furniture. The absurdity Of
these duties lies in the fact that hardly
a foot of the fine varieties of wood on
which they are imposed comes into the
United States. Although these woods,
when not sawed into boards nor mann,
featured in any shape are on the free
list veIy little is imported into the
country. The mahogany, ebony, lig
numvit@ and rosewood of Contra
and South America are sent Il
Europe, whence some of it IL
the shape Of luxurious furni
turc finds its way to a few American
consumer. BY the cunning arts o,
vanishing, granting and veneering or
binary woods, a little rosewood, satin
wood and mahogany goes a grea
ways in the making Of furniture. Blu
If these woods should be made free O
tariff tax American makers of cabinet
ware would use a great deal more O
them.
The taxes on lumber are not of sufi
Gent importance for revenue, and ar
not imposed for that purpose. Blu
they are n serious obstruction TO indus
try and commerce, AM a g~rievous bur
den to American commerce. The dutie
should, therefore, be totally, uncondi
tionally and Immediately repealed :
philadelphia Record.