The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-02-02
The Wilson Bill.

Der will supply this need by breaking
up the "lumber combine" A Tacoma
man is of the opinion that free lum-
Der is necessity because of the de-
pletion of the forests in the eastern
states. Over in British Columbia
they are praying for the passage OF
the Wilson bill in order that the
"combine" of the big British Column
bia mills may be broken up by the
influx of Yankee saw mill men. A
number of men are being quoted as
saying that free lumber will hurt no
one, and others rush into print with
the declaration that the Wilson bill,
if it becomes law, will kill the lum-
Der industry.
These statements are very interest
ing-to persons not acquainted with
the lumber trade. The Seattle gen
tleman's plea for cheap lumber has
already probably brought him more
price lists than he ever had III his
life and it is possible that he marvels
how 1000 feet of lumber can be sold
for from 1926 to $3.50 per 1000 feet
when he considers the fact that the
log has been cut in the woods, hauled
to the water and then towed probably
100 miles to the mill, there to pass
through number of hands--altogether
from stump to lumber yard, through
% hands. And after these men have
been paid he probably figures out to
his own satisfaction why free lumber
is not needed. Possibly, too, it may
be of interest to him to learn that the
"lumber combines" price list is lower
than that of the mills in the woods,
which were started up independent OF
"combines," and that the reason SO
many mills are shut down today IS
because there is no demand for lum-
Der in any part Of the world. In TACT
the mills now in the "cOmblne" have
not grown wealthy in late years. The
fortunes made by the mills IN the
"combine" were made years ago when
business was good and saw mills few.
If access to the books OF the great
mills could be had it is safe to say
that dividends have been few and far
between the past four years. Never
theless the mills have been operated
and an army of men has been sup
piled with employment at good wages.
How the Tacoma gentleman discoE-
cred that free lumber is a necessity to
the country he alone knows. He
surely has not looked into the source
of supply and the extent of the de-
mand. Neither has he given the cost
of lumber any thought. He has
Jumped at the conclusion that because
the white pine is not as plentiful as it
was 20 years ago that the country is
in need of foreign lumber and that
the consumer pays more than he
ought. How fallacious this gentle
mans argument is, can be demonstra-
ted by the following authentic facts
More white pine lumber. by many
millions of feet, is produced annually
than suffices for the demand, including
domestic and foreign; more yellow
pine trees are converted into lumber
annually than is necessary; more tir
and redwood is sawed by over 100000,
600 feet than is purchased. This does
not look as though there is any search
ty of lumber in the United States
The fact that so per cent. of the mills
Is per cent. of the yellow pine mills
in the southern states in the same
fix does not favor the gentleman
argument. Neither do the present
prices show that there is scarcity OF
lumber. In the South and the Pacific
Northwest common lumber is worth
from 1925 to $7.50-just the cost Of
manufacture Neither has there been
much of change in white pine
prices. According to the report OF
the senate committee on finance the
price of one-inch clear, rough, pine
boards in 1870 was $5O25 per 1000
feet, and in 1891, $50. In 1879 one
inch common boards sold at SIG and
at SIS in 1891. One-inch white pine
flooring sold at 500 and in 1891 at $1S
At the same time white pine logs,
according to the report, sold at $40
per 1000, which increased to $12 in
1891. Therefore if the consumer be-
lieves he is getting robbed at the pre-
sent quotations, he certainly is not
posted. Neither is the Tacoma man
who is under the impression that
lumber is scarce and prices high.
So far as the British Columbia
is concerned it is possible that the
Wilson bill attract many mill men
from this side of the line, and of
course we cannot blame the people for
wanting new industries, new blood
and fresh capital. But at the same
time it will prove just that much loss
to the United States.
The most important point in the
whole matter seems to have been lost
by the adherents of the Wilson bill,
and that is, is foreign lumber neces-
sity? We think not, and the figures
given above verify the assertion. We
have enough lumber in this country
to supply the needs of the people for
years to come; the prices are salts
factory to the consumer, and this
being so, what need is there of taking
off the duty? The South. the North
and the Pacific coast do not want nor
need free lumber. The Wilson mea-
sure will keep our Virginia. Vest Vir-
ginia, North Carolina and Georgia
lumber out of the Atlantic coast
states; white pine will suffer at Chi
cago, Cleveland, Buffalo, Ionawanda.
Albany and New York and in Mime
sofa and North Dakota; yellow pine,
cypress and long leaf pine from
Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Ala
bama and Texas will meet Canadian
pine at Chicago, Kansas City, Cincin-
natl and Omaha; Pacific coast fir
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