The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-06
The Debate on the Lumber Schedule
Leads to Some Warm Words.
Senators Vest and Bacon Differ on the
Proposed Tariff
A Letter Received From the Minister
of Austro-Hungary Protesting
Against the Determinations of the
Sugar Schedule in the Pending
Tariff Bill.

WASHINGTON, June 5.-On the
opening of the Senate to-day a COM
munication from the Secretary of State
was received, transmitting a letter
from the Minister of Austro- Hungary,
Baron Won Hengelmueller, protesting
in behalf of his Government against the
determinations of the sugar schedule in
the present tariff bill against bountie6
sugar. The Minister'S letter was read
| in full at the request of Vest. 1t urges
that the discrimination against sugar
receiving bOunties denies to Austria
Hungary the most favored nation
treatment and also threatens to dam
age heavily the exports of the country.
| The communication was referred to the
Finance Committee.
At 12:15 the consideration of the tar
if bill was resumed. The first para
graph of the wood schedule relating to
hewn timbers, etc, was agreed to a ] y
cents per cubic foot, the new rate pro-
posed by the committee
When the next paragraph relating to
sawed boards, planks, etc, was
reached, Vest said he would later move
to place the articles of this paragraph
and those of the previous on the free
list.
Allison then perfected, the provision
relating to the addition of the export
duty upon saw logs coming from coun-
tries paying export duty so that the
proviso will apply also to ''broomsticks
and chains used in towing logs" This
amendment was agreed to.
Jones of Arkansas, referring to the
heavy burden it imposed ON the people
of the West, said the rates of the bill
were the result of a determined and
systematic effort by the lumber men,
and in this connection he read a let
ter from the National Lumber Conven-
ton that issued from an office in Wash
ington urging that petitions to Senators
and members be prepared bearing the
names of working men. This, Jones
declared, was the means by which the
high rates were being urged.
Vest said there was not a single item
in the bill SO utterly indefensible as
that taking white pine from the free
list and placing a rate of 50 per thou
sand feet upon it. White pine was just
ly called the king of coniferous
woods" and yet the clear intent of the
trainers of this bill was to make the
rates absolutely prohibitory on this
wood
tt was due to some extent to a COM
bination between the lumber interests
of the West and the South, and he had
been confronted by this combination
during his last canvass. The Senator
referred to the manner in which the
Maine delegation-the ablest one in
Congress-had succeeded for wears in
ioI I;o+
was a credit to their capacity which
they displayed in all directions, secur-
ing, among other things, more public
buildings than any other State.
Vest declared that the proposed rate
on white pine was in the interest of
the lumber barons, who have ac-
cumulated millions upon millions" at
the expense of the people. AS evidence
of this the Senator read a letter from
Michigan giving the names of Michi-
gan pine kings. In fervid tones, Vest
referred TO this added burden on the
poor, to whom every penny was almost
a dollar, and every dollar almost a
drop of blood. 1t was, he said, the
most indefensibe item of the bill, with
out justification or palliation.
Jones of Arkansas warned his South
ern associates against the argument
that the lumber interests of the South
would be benefited by the exclusion Of
Canadian lumber. He read a letter
from an American lumberman on the
border, saying the result of the rates
would be to compel the Canadians to
reduce the price of their lumber, and it
eventually would come into the United
States cheaper than at present.
McLaurin Oem.) of South Carolina,
who recently entered the Senate, made
his initial speech, criticising the rates
of the wood schedule, saying they We're
not designed to benefit any Southern
industry, and that if there was any
thing of the kind it was merely Incl
dental.
Vest moved an amendment excepting
white pine from the operation of the
paragraph.
Bacon Oem) of Georgia expressed
his differences with Vest The latter.
he said, had advocated rates increased
100 per cent, while in this schedule the
average ad valorem was below 20 per
cent That being the case, Bacon as
serted that Vests statement that this
was the most unjustifable feature of
the bill was not warranted
Il regard it as the most reasonable
feature of the whole BILL" declared Ba-
con. Il regard the schedule as a
proper one, irrespective of the party
from which it comes''
GRAECO-TURKISH AFFAIRS.