The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-08

Some few weeks ago the G | O b c
had an interview with Mr.. Weyer-
haeuser, easily the leading lumberman,
in extent of operations, in the North
west. His statements were all made
In justification of the Dingley restora-
ton Of the 1883 rate of 81 a 1000 feet
on imports of lumber, and they were
so remarkable that we felt impeHed
to give them an investigation We
compared them with the authentic re-
ports Of our government, the result Of
which we gave in an editorial on Mr..
Weyerhaeuser's statistics. 1t will be
remembered that he stated that the
wages of workingmen in Minnesota
lumber industry averaged $1.4O a day,
and that the lumbermen could not Of
ford to compete with Canadians who
paid but rs cents a day for the same
labor.
Not having access to any statistics
that would show whether Mr. Weyer-
haeuser was as accurate in this state
ment as he was inaccurate in his state
ment Of the number of workingmen
employed, or of the increased compe. .
tition under the free listing Of lum-
Der, and other details, we sought infor
nation in Canada. We were fortunate
In finding a gentleman who has been
engaged for over thirty years in thu
lumber business, twenty-five of them
In Minnesota, who is now managing a
large lumber plant in Canada. His
request that his name be withheld
prevents us from giving it publicity.
but his statements we can guarantee
to be accurate. AS to wages he states
that, in the fall of 1893 the wages paid
Tor work in the woods in Canada
ranged from $22 to $25 a month land
found" at which time Mr.. Viewer
haeuser's agent was engaging men to
work in his camps at SIS a month as
the highest wage. In the mill yard
for common labor Eat no time within
the past five years have we been able
to hire men for less than from SIPS
to $1.50 day, and they have not paid
ASH
five years." The lowest rate named
was 'for the simplest work" He as
serts that even $125 a day has not
been paid for similar work in Mr.. Wey-
erhaeuser's various down river interests
to our informant's personal knowledge.
He knows of no place in Canada where
man has been obliged to work for IS
cents day. Our Canadian Is borne
cut in his statements as to wages paid
IN the lumber industry in this country
by the figures we derived from our
census reports, which made the aver
age 81 cents a day.
AS to cost of material, Mr.. Viewer
hausers interview left 1t to be in
ferred that 1t cost the Canadian less
to get his logs from the tree to the
market than 1t does himself The diff
ference in favor Of the Canadian, he
stated, was $40 1000; the cost here,
he said, was 81 1000. It is inferrible
from Mr.. Weyerhauser's statement
that the Canadian cost is from SO. so to
81 to get logs to the mill The actual
cost is between Sc and 81. and that is
exclusive Of government timber dues
of from 81 to s1.30 and of the cost of
stunlpage. From his knowledge OF
cost in both localities our in
fornant asserts that it costs
1895 more to get logs to the
mill in Canada than in Minnesota, and
that, within his own Minnesota ex-
perience, logs were taken from the
tree and put into boom at Minneap-
oils for $3.50 to $3G1 1,000. He evil
IDENTIFY thinks that Mr.. Weyerhaeuser
should be content With the 81 tariff
for, under it, in 1898. some of the com
panies in his syndicate, he states.
paid dividends Of 10 per cent
AS we stated, the figures and state.
ments given by our correspondent are
absolutely accurate, and, taken in con-