St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-11
IRON ORE IN THE CHAMBER.


In the chamber of commerce this
morning the committee on legislation,
to which was referred the resolution of
4. V. Smalley urging our senators and
representatives Ill congress to oppose
the putting on the free list of lumber
and iron ore, will report it back with
recommendation. In the course of
the debate which will follow, Smith
Jones will make the following remarks i:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the
Chamber: 1t is needless for ME to tell
you that L am opposed to the resolu-
ton, for you all know that am free
trader from conviction. believing that
it is right, and that what is right is the
best policy, whether in business or gov
eminent But am not going to ad-
dress any argument to you based on
that line of thought. l recognize that
we are all business men, engaged in a
competitive business, and that the
strongest argument which can be ad-
dressed to us is the one that shows that
we will suffer loss or gain profit by any
course the government may pursue.
In other words, recognize that under
our altruism lies the motive power of
SelfiShnesS.
L shall therefore endeavor to show
you that our own selfish interests lie in
the direction of free ore and lumber;
not, perhaps, the Self-interest which
perceives the immediate penny, but the
larger self-interest which sees the dol
lar hidden by the intervening cent.
hot 10 A.
Smalley's resolution? When we take
Off the huSks of sentiment, a thing
which business has nothing to do with,
because sit isn't business" it is simply
request that the federal government
continue to tax ore and lumber that
would come in from other countries IS
cents ton and from 81 to $3.50 a
thousand. Why? Because, it . is
claimed, these articles can be produced
and brought here cheaper than our
miners and lumbermen can produce
| them. What does that mean? That
without the tax these articles and, bv
necessity, all the things into whose con-
struction they go, would be cheaper.
What follows? That this request is to
| have our members in the congress oppose
making cheaper the things so commonly
used in order that the men engaged in
producing them In our state NAV be
able to exact more for their ore and
lumber than they could get without it
That is the plain English of the propo-
sition.
Now. who are these proposed bene-
ficiaries, and what are their relations TO
| US business men? In one way their re-
latlons are very close. There is not n
man in this chamber but Is touched bv
them in his business in some way. One
class of them furnishes the lumber that
goes into our packing boxes, and the
other the material out of which is made
the nails that fasten them. Both con-
tribute the material for the railways
which take our freights out and in. and
the drays which carry them to and from
| our warehouses. But | will not enlarge
on this phase: each>of you can see in
your own affairs how much iron and
| lumber enter into the details of your
business and affect its cost and increase
| your working capital. Who are thew
| and how many of them are therep
| don't know how closely you have kept
track or business movements outside
OF your own, but L assume that it is
not news to you that.a syndicate com.
posed of few men now controls prac-
tlcaiiy ali the stumpage of this state.
Michigan and Wisconsin. the remaining
sources of lumber supply for the North
west. A Pullman coach will comIorta-
bly, carry all of these men who own the
stumpage from which our lumber sup
pies pust be cut. You may have read
recently Ct the consultations of the