The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-29
LUMBER ON THE FREE LIST.


Will Bring D1eoeter 10 foeot 0D00d
and Benefit British Columbia.%
TACOMA, Nov. 2s-TSpecial. l-Just how
hard the new tariff bill will hit the lumber
industry was outlined today by Victor H.
Beckman, associate editor of the Puget
Sound Lamberman. He Is an unabridged
encyclopedias on the subject, and the fol-
lowing 10 q composite summary Of what he
has - say:
"If the proposed measure passes con-
gress there Is no question but the lumber
industry of the Pacific coast of the United
States will suffer. The lumhermsn of
these states. irrespective Of political afiilia-
tions. are on record as being opposed TO
putting lumber on tholree list
Fifty million tnliars IA round Numbers
represent the capita! employed in the
slumber industry of the Pacific coast.
There are $40 sawmiils and 404 shingis
mills in the state of Washington, Oregon
and California. whose output of lumber
footed up last year 2. 300, ,0O0, ,000 feet of
lumber and 2, ,200. .000,000 shingles. of the
aggreease value of $27. .00o. 600. The num-
Der of men employed in the logging camps
OF these states is q. 900. to whom are paid
IN wages annually $4,000. 600. Naturally
this industry, the mainstay Of at least
Washington and Oregon, ID vitality inter-
ested in the tariff question.
British Columbia. which win compete
with the three states above mentioned,
possesses greater lumber area than the
three states combined. Last year Wash
ington and Oregon shipped into Caiifor-
MIA. which Is great lumber consuming
state. 325 000, 600 feet of lumber and
shipped eastward to the prairie states
5O,ooa 600 feet and 1. 100. 600 600 shingles
Ii is conceded that British Columbia will
cut seriously into the California trade and
perhaps compete TO some extent with
Washington and Oregon lumber In the
Eastern states if lumber Is placed on the
Tree list.
''The large cargo mills of British Column
bsa employing Chinese and kanaka labor,
there being little or no restrictions TO the
importation of alien labor there, are In q
position to unload into California vast
quantities of lumber in competition with
the mills on this side of the line which
pay white labor higher wages than OBJ
tain in any other lumber industry sec
tion In this country. As fully one-half
of the exports OF lumber from Washington
and Oregon find their way to Caliior-
MA this is a very serious matter. So far
as the Eastern trade is concerned there
will be but little direct competition, the
British Columbia mills not having found
a market as yet, but directly lot OF cheap
lumber from Eastern Canada gets into the
prairie states wa the lakes and on the At
iantie seaboard IL will naturally handicap
the shipment of Pacific Norths estern fir,
cedar and spruce by rail.
British Columbia shingles cannot CON-
pete in the East With the Washington and
Oregon product. Unlike sawmili, the
hnik of labor employed IN a shing.e mill
is skilled. aud as skilled shlngie miil labor
commands the same remuneration in Bril-
tish Columbia as on Puget SQUAD, and as
the cost of raw material is also about the
same there is no danger from that source.
But the cheap shingles tran Eastern
Canada may do considerable harm IN the
prairie states aud may naturally cause the
demand for the really fine red cedar artiee g
10 drop off in measure"
Chairman Henry Drum, OF the Demo
cratic state committee. Is said 20 have an,
ticipated the pgac!ng OF lumber on the free
list by gettins possession OF a British
Columbia saw mill.