The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-05
BOTTOM HAS DROPPED OUT
Frightful Ravages of Democratic
Times in the Northwest,
LABOR WITHOUT EMPLOYMENT
Lumber Camps Are Deserted, Houses Ten
untless. Farms profitless and 1t Is
Condition, Not Theory, That
Confronts the People.
LABOR WITHOUT EMPLOYMEN'

Confronts the People.
Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Chicago, Nov. 4.
Business may be reviving in the east
especially in the Democratic news
it is not doing much in that
line out west. The Record, of this city,
a low tariff paper, recently sent william
Il. Curtis, its Washington correspond
ent, on an investigating tour through
Oregon, Washington and the other erst-
while boom states of the great north
west. From Portland he writes:
Oregon feels the effect Of the new
tariff more than any other state in the
union, except 1t be her younger neigh
Dor, Washington. The removal of the
duty upon wool has very nearly ruined
hundreds of farmers whose entire
wealth was invested in sheep. By plac-
ing lumber upon the free list congress
has closed nearly every mill in this
state, and completely paralyzed the
logging industry. By reducing the duty
on coal from IS cents to 40 cents ton
it has been made impossible for the
Oregon miners to compete with the
British Columbian across the border
without reduction of wages, to which
the Miners union is not willing to sub
nit, and there Is no compensation in
sight for any of these interests.
Most of the value of lumber and coal
out in this country represents labor,
and both in the mining and lumber
camps high wages have been paid
from $3.50 day for the ordinary la
borer to $3.50 and 81 for the skilled me-
chanic-and the rules of the union were
rigidly enforced. over the border in
British Columbia Cinnamon are almost
exclusively employed, and they never
get more than 81 day, while thou
sands are paid but 60 and rs cents. This
difference was sufficiently covered by
the Mckinley law to enable the Oregon
lumbermen and coal miners to hold
their trade and to ship considerable to
Asia, South America and the South sea
islands. But now you can buy any
amount of Canadian lumber and coal in
Portland and every other town on the
coast for less money than the domestic
product costs.
Wisconsin Refuted.
"The best lumber used to go into the
export trade; the poorer grades were
held for the local market. Now the con-
sumner can buy the best grades of Cana
dian pine and fir cheaper than the low
est grades of the domestic products
used to cost him. According to Profess
sor Wilson's theory this ought to be
gratifying to the consumer, but as a
hard, ineXorable fact, it isn't. A large
proportion of the population of Oregon
was engaged in the logging camps and
the saw-mills. Since the passage of the
tariff bill 80 per cent. of them are out of
employment The mills are running
only to furnish lumber and timber of
extra and special dimensions to fill
some unusual orders. Therefore the
consumer of lumber who is producer
of something else, has no market for his
goods. 1t is very practical and tangi-
BILE lesson in political economy; and If
Professor Wilson could visit Oregon a
great many consumers of lumber, wool
and coal would take the liberty to teach
1t to him. The same is true of coal,
even with q Accent duty. Cheap Chin
ese labor enables the Canadian miner to
undersell his rival in the United States
ever at the mouth of the latters mine.
"The price of labor has got to come
down. Not only in the lumber camps
and coal mines, but in the wheat fields
and on the sheep and cattle ranches.
1t is impossible for the labor unions to
prevent it, unless the duties upon wool,
coal and lumber are restored Many
workingmen who have laid by some
thing during their prosperous years are
leaving this section for California and
other places. Some are going east to
their former homes in the hope of find
ing something to do, for they cannot
get work at their old wages out here,
and the union will not allow thew to
accept any less. Hundreds Of houses
have been abandoned, without any at
tempt to rent them or to sell their con-
tents, because there is no demand. Sc
they simply let the fire go out in the
kitchen stove, tie old newspapers ovei
the furniture, board up the windows
and doors and have the neighbors look
after things as long as they stay.
PLENTY of houses can be had rent
| free by honest tenants who will be sure
to take good care of them, because the
insurance companies cancel their risks
upon unoccupied dwellings; and tramps
were never so numerous as they are
now. 1t Is really distressing to see the
empty shops and stores and houses IL
what were two years ago the most pros
porous and promising towns in the
country. The boom has collapsed
Town lots are worthless 10 and 12 pei
cent mortgages are offered upon the
best property in Tacoma. Seattle ant
other new cities without tempting any
| investor; and nearly everybody whC
owes money has defaulted his interest
/ not from inclination, but because it /!
impossible for him to pay.
Democrats Are Scarce.
"That is one reason why you can
find any Democrats in this part OF tn
country this season. There are plent.
of Populists and Republicans, but tn
Democratic party is practically obso
lete west of the Missouri river, owin
to the silver legislation of congress an
the tariff bill And it Is equally Difficult
to find any Democratic newspapers.
saw touching threnody which one o
them published a few days ago. 1t /
as follows:
This was a Democratic paper In day
gone by, but the change in the natlona
administration of the government d
Washington which 1t labored so ably an
so earnestly to accomplish, has not bee
what was expected, and, like the French
mans whisky, 1t didn't taste so good /
the mouth as 1t did In the Imagination
Like many other Industries under the ne,
conditions that confront u.s. this inst
tuition has withered and died. There 1
no show for stralght-out Democrat
paper in these digglngs in these time,
and we have reluctantly been compelle
| o., oh,,t nm ghOD for lack of natron a O..