Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-10-09

in these columns. The indirect losses
of the same class 81 producers. through
suspended industries OF other kinds.
are almost as great, though not quite
80 apparent.
Next in value TO the farm products
of the state. and following close upon
them. are the products of the pine and
hardwood forests. the pine lumber,
iath and Single cut alone, having. in
It's best years. reached "A value of over
SG0,0 900. When these two industries
are looming the pine and hardwood
forests and mills furnish the best mar
.,ct there is for the products of Mich
gan farms. The lumber camps, in
winter. create IA demand for immense
quantities of hay. oats and bran, to-
rcthcr with market for draft horses.
They are also heavy consumers of
every staple article of food for man, es-
pccially for those products in which
Michigan eXcels, wheat flour, beans,
potatoes. apples. beef cattle and pork.
/ Following the breaking up o the lum-
Der camps in the spring comes the
starting of the sawmllS. which con
tinue the demand through the summer
and fall. In the most prosperous years
/ for numbering the farmers north of the
/ d., c. ii. n NJ railway have had mar
ket for their products almost at their
own doors and at their own prices
Changes in the tariff have had an
immediate effect upon this industry by
! transferring a good deal of the sawmill
work 10 Canada, while the general de
/ preston of business has greatly re-
duced the demand for lumber Not
since 1851, when it was in its infancy,
mas the lumber business of Michigan
been 50 paralYZed as during the present
year. Operations in the camps last
winter were smaller than for many
years before. and the mills are running
light this summer. Stocks on hand are
heavy and their owners find it difficult
to realize on them. As result the
farmers have lost the excellent market
which they formerly had in the woods
and the Nawmill towns. and have TO
pay freight charges and commissions
before they can get Detroit prices.
while they become competitors with
their brethren from other parts of the
state in the Detroit and eastern mar
ketS. The depression in this one in
'luStry has made a difference Of many
hundred thousand dollars i'm their re.
ceipts since the Wilson bill passed
Next 20 the lumber camps and saw
mills. the mines OF the upper peninsula
employ more men and pay out more
IN wages than any other single indus
try i'm the state. I'm 1892. before the
election turned the country over TO the
Democracy. many of the iron mines of
northern Michigan were running night
and day shifts. with "a large force of
'aen "a they could work to advantage.
Wages were good and the men and
their families were liberal purchase RS
Of clothing and of all food products
With the threat Of tariff changes came
reduced prices for iron ore. and the
threat was followed by the enactment
of the Wilson tariff, which dealt TO
iron manufacture heavier blow than
to any other branch Of manufacture
except that of wooden goods Within
one year after its enactment that law
doubled the importation Of bar iron.
destroyed the cotton industry in this
country and closed up the factories.
almost doubled the import, of steel in
gots and blooms. and increased the inn
ports of tin plate. The direct result
of these increased imports is a lesScned
demand for American iron ore and the
evil j. aggravated by tile general de.
precision of business caused. i'm part. by
the same tariff. The result is disas-
trou> 10 the Michigan mining district
During the past six weeks, when opc-
rations ought TO have been more active
than at any other time in the year.
mine after mine has ceased work and
in some cases the pumps even have
been stopped. allowing the mines TO
fiji with water. Many of the miners.
instead of being the most liberal of
purchasers. are likely, during the com
ing winter. 10 require aid from public
appropriations or private charity
The purchasing and consuming power
of thousands Of families has thus been
seriously impaired Not only that, but
many of them have become producers
'l lar III ellNA EeAl'l0h l'ip'th'AN w lltll
the miners were earning from - 80 to
$3.50 day. with plenty of work they
had neither time nor inclination 20
work farm or garden under the di>ad-
vantagcs of soil and climate that exist in
that region But. under the stress Of
enforced idleness and reduced pay. they
have undertaken both Last winter
witnessed the novel spectacle of farm
ers' institutes in a region which before
that had possessed little of the quality
of an agricultural district. and another
series Of institutes has been arranged
for this winter
The Wilson tariff has thus helped
to destroy "a good market aud To-
raise "a competitor. DO the farmers
OF lower Michigan want four years
more of IL?
All the prosperity enjoved 10y the
American people. from the founding of
the 'Dited states down to the prpspnt