The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-11-02


He Has Enough OF Tariff TirI.eripo.
Col Chauncy w. Griggs, president
OF the st. Paul & Tacoma Lumber
company, the caucus nominee of the
democratic party in the legislature,
two years ago for United States sena-
tor, is not taking an active part in
politics this year. A report has been
in circulation that he had left the de-
mocracy altogether. But he denies
it.
II am still a democrat" said he yes
terday in an interview, "but am out
of politics for the present"
"Why?" the interviewer propounded
go, simply because I have to look
after my business affairs. My time
is fully occupied with business"
"What's the matter; are the Cana
dian lumbermen giving you pretty
close cOmpetltlOnY
"They are preparing to open Offices,
in California and propose to compete
with us in that markets. OF course
on account of cheap labor, they Will
be able to shave prices"
GAS a plain matter of business,
could you compete successfully with
Canadian lumbermen, on fire trade
basis, without reducing the wages of
your employes?"
"Most assurcdly we could not. The
Canadian mills are all run by Chinese
except the foremen. Those Chinese
receive uniform wages o. 70 cents q
dav. The lowest wages we pay is ST. so
a day, and from that up to So. The
average is about $2 The principal
cost of our lumber or any lumber is in
the labor. 1t is nothing less than alb
surd, nonsensible, to suppose that we
could compete with the Canadians
without cutting wages in accordance
with the expense of producing lumber
in Canada. That is all there is about
it, and nobody can refute it,"
"Why, then, do such men as you al
low the democratic party, even of this
state, to commit itself to free, raw
materials, which include lumber?"
81 never try to influe ce the demo-
cratic party, except so far as my in
diviGual membership entities me.
Free trade, though, will not do. Why,
the Canadians can now, under the
reductions that have been made in
the tariff schedule, come to Washing
ton, buy their logs, tow them to their
mills, saw them into lumber with
their Chinese help, and ship the lum
ber back here and put it on the mar
ket at as low figure as we possibly
can quote, with wages as they are"
GLOW many men do you employ?"
ave have 225 in our mill and IT'S
out in the woods"
"And are all of your company demo-
Gratis in the face of such conditions?"
go, no; Mr.. Norton, Mr. Hewitt, Mr.
Browne and Mr. Foster are republi-
cans. They are strong ones, too"
Percy D. Norton, the vice-president
of the company, was the first person
he referred to, and Mr.. Norton was
right there, in the mill company's Of
fee. When Mr.. Griggs mentioned
that they re republicans and strong
ones, too, Mr.. Norton took it up.
"You can bet on it we're republicans"
said he, "and stronger ones than ever.
Just put that down as dead certain
ty this campaign"
A bright smile crept over NJ r Griggs'
countenance at this sally.
"Remember, I am a democrat" the
colonel continued, ~ simply am not
in politics this yea"
"That may be, but you are not a
free trade democrat, are you"
"Free trade is utterly impracticable,
and would be ruinOus. We must have
some kind of protection against for
eicners. That is settled in my mind,
and in the minds OF all practical men,"
'As man of practical experience,
what is your unbiased judgment about
tariff duties and protection"
al believe that our tariff should be
levied for revenue purposes only, with
a view to protecting those interests
which will be helpful to the people"
The colonel persisted to the last that
he was still a democrat, but not in
politics just now.
This interview was submitted to
Col. Griggs last evening. He made a
few careful corrections in the original,
changing it to read as it Row does,
and approved it.-Tacoma Ledger.
The publication OF the, above IN the
Ledger and other papers, Immediately
created CONSERVATION in the Democra
tic state committee rooms. They
brought out an interview from P. A.
Paulson, saying that Griggs did not
know what he was talking about, and