Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-16
WANT A TARIFF ON LUMBER
Strong Resolutions Adopted by the Big
Convention at Cincinnati,
PROTEST AGAINST CANADE8 COMPETITION
IumhCrmcn from TwcntS-ScNch
states Decide tn Make II strong
Appeal to Congress for
Protection.

| CINCINNATI, Dec. 15.--Pursuant to a call
| issued by j. Z. Defe6augh, publisher Of the
/ Tiabcrman ana w. b. JudH)n, publisher OF
| the Lumberman, 15O delegates representing
/ twcnty-sevsn states assembled here this
/ morning when the national convention Of
/ lumber interests was called to order Pre-
/ vious to portecting temporary organization
I Nelsrs. Judo)n and Defebaugh made elaborate
+ addresses explaining the purpose of the con
: ycrtion the requests for the call and the
present condition Of the lumber business,
| Both had prepared elaborate statements with
statistics on the lumber trade They APP
pcaled to the delegates from the southern
states, which section was largely represented.
Most of the southern delegates have been
free traders, but in responding to the vel
! coming address Of JudsOn and DeteDauSh
! ths1a delegates insisted that If there is TO pe
a protective tariff lumber should not be
Disseminated against, and they would 90 an
! they cOuld to secure tariff on lumber Ihey
! ntated that all other articles used In con-
| necticn with lumber in all sorts OF CON
struction were protected and that the lun-
! Der trade was now so depressed as to require
| relief.
| temporary organization was perfected
with j. A. Freeman as chairman ana II. H.
| Dcfebaugh and w. b. Jud9on secretaries
Mr. Freeman made vigorous speech against
| the tariff of 1894 as discriminating against
| lumber and urging the convention to take
| ouch action as would secure just treatment
| to the lumber interests in the tarin bll to
| be enacted by the coming congress. Secre-
| tary Defebaugh read many letters from lum-
| bermen who could not be present, but
| pledged their cooperation in any action the
convention might take to secure tariff on
| umLer The usual committees were ap-
Il u of
| tho work for the session of two days was
| carefully made.
| While the present purpose is to secure
tariff on lumber yet permanent organization
| Is being perfected for the general interests
| of lumbermen in the future.
| Megsrs. Ramsey Of Texas, Lambs OF Iowa
| Forseman of Pennsylvania Call Of Alabama
and Farm of Virginia were appointed
| committee on permanent organization ana
retired for a meeting.
Mr., Silas w. Gardiner of Lyons, Ia, was
| tneu introduced and spoke as follows:
The call for this meeting was most timely
| and therefore most auspicous. IL was
made bv men who know thoroughly the eN-
tent of the depression In our business anu ana
| how disastrousty our trade has been affected
by the adverse legislation by congress in
| tariff matters
INJURY TO A BIG INDUSTRY.
| "I am here as an advocate of the propo-
! Ditlon that when lumber was placed on the
| free list. while other manufactures were
made dutiable the grosseSt end rankest sort
| of Injustice and discrimination was enacted
| against the largest manufacturing industry
| i'm the United Stlte5-the industry that en-
| plcys the most labor and pays out the most
money for wages; and | think. too, that
am s,1fe in saying that including the return
| traffic goods and supplies consumed by
| umbermen and their employees and families,
| our industry furnishes to the railroads OF TINS
| country more tonnage and more revenue
! alg ~
| great injury was done to our Duslh $50 the
| limited States treasury was deprived OF
large amount of much needed revenue.
II am here to advocate that petition,
| grand petition representing tne luupet III
| tercsts of the entire country, be sent up to
congress asking that some reparation De
made for the incacuable. damage that mas
| been done our business. We shoull petltloh
| be laid on all rough lumber and timber I'M
| ported into this country, and, second, tnat
upon all dressed or remanufactured lumber
| an additional 81 per 1000 feet be imposed
Such duty will yield annually TO tne pup
| lie treasury about 81 900 900 in revenue be
| cause it is not high enough to be prohlhl-
| tory and yet is sufficient to prevent the
| Canadian manufacturers from unloading
| their surplus lines in the states at prices TO
| compete with which leaves no profit in the
| business for us. 1t would check the increase
| of such importations and encourage the
| closer working up of much of the common
and lower grade material that is now left
| in our forests to burn or decay because we
| can get no money out of 1t.
| "I trust that 1t will not go out from this
| convention and that it will not be said in
| or out of our meetings that it is our lnten-
tiOn to bar out Canadian lumber. 1t is not
| possible to accomplish such a result by
! tariff duty of only 81 per 900 feet on rough
! lumber and corresponding additional amount
| on planning mill products Canadian lumber
will continue to come, and plentifully enough
--but in suph quantities will imDerll
| the prosperity of our business in times OF
| reasonable commercial activity and that rs
| all we can hope for. Let wise ana moderate
counsel prevail to the end that we may pre-
cent a united and unanimous front to all
| enemiCS OF fair trade.
Mr.. Judson of Chcago spoke as follows:
"The victory of November made this
| meeting possible. without that the same
| the free list in 1894 would keep it there.
| 1t is now pcrceptiblo even to the dullest
! comprehension that had the old tariff re-
| manel on rough lumber during the past
| two years there would have been a vast
difference II. the kind of stock imported
| from Canada. 1t Is plain that only the
| best grades Of pine, high enough in price
| to stand the duty, would have come to our
markets, and we could afford to welcome
| that BECAUSE there Is not now and never
| again will be surplus of the better grades
| OF white pine. Every year the percentage
| of low grade stock has increased until
every Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota
| lumberman knows the question of the hour
has been what to do with these No 3 and
4 boards. Two or three hundred million feet
| of lumber thrown into the eastern market
from Canada. consisting mainly Of coarse
stock, can unsettle values and fix prices as
far away as Texas or Minnesota, as manu-
facturGrs from either Of these states can nc y
testify.
EVILS OF FREE LUMBER.
The removal of the duty on lumber has
fostcred the building of mills in Canada
to The injury not only of American lumber
manufacturers and the laborcrs employed
in their mills, but OF American manufactur-
ers of saw mill and wood working ma,
ch!nery as well for ii Is a notorious fact
that such machinery is practically shut
out of Canada by reason OF a tariff levied
by the Dominion government which Ia sim
ply prohbilory. The tariff relations be-
tween ourselves and our Canadian neighbors
are anything but reciprocal and yet we
delight In calling ourselves smart
That the lesson Of the last three years has
been bitter is as certain as that 1t has
worked a complete revolution in sentiment
The men who are today most earnest in
the conviction that If there Is to be a tarl
upon imports AT all lumber ehould be ono
OF the commodities upon which it should be
laid. are manufacturers of yellow pine ami
cypress OF the southern states As / un-
derstand the sentiment OF the lumber manu-
agl Ill