New-York tribune., 1897-01-01
PRICE THREE CENTS.
VAST INDUSTRIES ASK AID.
NEEDS OF THE LUMBER AND PAPER
TRADES PRESENTED.

sUGGEsrED-vIEws or PAPER
MANu-ACTrEzRs-r
IN THE TARIFF HEAR
INGs INCREASING.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIErSE.l
Washington. Dec. 31.-Pubc interest in ne
hearing before the Committee on Ways and
Means seems to increase rather than diminish.
for the attendance at this mornings sitting was
the largest thus far. and standing room was at
a premium before II erd ID As nearly every
body knows the lumber and wood industries OF
the United States received scant consideration
In 1894 at the hands Of the party then In power:
in fact. some of the more important branches OF
those Industries were sacrificed on the altar Of
free trade for the benefit OF foreign competitors.
mainly Canadians to whom more than 81 .jOO.OOD
a year In duties was presented a free gift at
the expense Of American capital labor and en-
terprise. together with market for $14.OOO.WO
worth OF lumber. These industries are as widely
distributed and as diverse i'm character as any to
b. found in the United States.
All branches Of these diverse industries were
represented. from the pine and redwood forests
ot the Pacific States. which have most severely
felt the competition OF British Columbia In the
last two years. to the spruce forests OF Maine.
and from the pine forests OF Michigan. Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota TO those OF Mississippi. Louis
lana. Arkansas and Alabama. the hemlock for
ests Of Pennsylvania and the hardwood and pop
lar forests # West Virginia The representa-
tiyes Of all these regions and industries have the
same tale to tell-a story OF deserted lumber
camps. Of mills idle running short time, OF
wages reduced and Of wage-earners deprived Of
work one-thrd or ne-half the time; In word,
OF a great and important National industry para
lived and Frustrated by blind and wilfu legisla.
tion.
NO UNREASONABLE DEMANDS MADE.
The hearing opened by p. ". Goodyear.
OF Buffalo, ~ Y. representative Of a con-
ventIon Of lumbermen held in Cincinnati few
weeks ago. at which delegates were present from
all the lumber producing States The conveu-
tion unanimously adopted resolutions asking for
the restoration in part OF the duties imposed By
the Act OF 1890 and in part Of those imposed by
the tariff Of 1883 Mr. Goodyear dwelt on the
magnitude OF tn. lumber industry, In which
00OO.000 Of capital had been invested and
which, under the tariff Of 1890 had given EN-.
poyment to 100000 men and been the source Of
support for more than 5000 600 men. women and
children. The lumbermen. he said, were not
here to make unreasonable demands: they never
had done so. The main things they asked were
that the duties OF 1890 should be restored and
that white pine. hemook. basswood and syca-
more should be included with spruce in the para
! graph carrying duty OF 81 q thousand feet. Mr..
Goody ear paid high tribute to the statesmen Of
| Maine. from Blaine to Dingcy and Boutelle who
had labored zealously earnestly and success
fully to protect the spruce lumber industry e
their State
You Will remember that Maine is the Pine
! Tree State" in.erjected Chairman Dingley
Yes. without any pine. but with immense
forests Of spruce from which a new crop OF saw.
logs can be cut every thirty years." was the
| prompt and good -natured retort.
Mr.. Goodyear said that the lumbermen were
In fault because they did not labor more ear.
nestly to impress their views on Congress in 1890
and when their representatives came to Wash.
ington in 1891 they discovered that a heavy
frost had set in and that they might as we'll have
remained at home and spared their money time
and efforts. The experiences OF the last two
years had been disastrous, and had awakened
the lumber interests to the necessity Of trying
to do something for representation. Failures
had been more numerous and extensive propor-
tionately. than in any other branch Of industry
since the enactment OF the law Of 1894. and the
losses OF labor in time and wages had amounted
at least 40 per cent. In his own plant the
loss in wages had amounted to 90 per cent and
I'm time to 40 per cent. At present the wages
paid in the woods in the Northwestern States
varied from SIG to s24 month and in Canada
from SO TO S1S month
This statement was corroborated by Congress-
man elect Morris of the Duluth. Mimi, District,
who added. on the authority of one of the larg-
est lumbermen in his district. that wages in the
woods there. in 1892 varied from $26 to $40 Q
month. with board
CANADA'S INJURIOUS COMPETITION.
Mr.. Goodyear devoted good deal OF time 70
the subject of Canadian competition. and set
forth number OF facts showing the superior ad-
vantages which the Canadian lumbermen enjoy
as compared with those Of the United States, e.
pecially in the items Of stumpage. wages ara
taxation. The lumbermen OF the United States
pay S3OO0OO0 year in taxes, and the Canadians
engaged In the same industry pay compara-
lively insignificant sum.
In reply to Mr. Russell and other members q
the committee Mr. Goodyear gave his reasons
against the imposition of a duty on Canadian
sawlogs. which were chiefly that the manufact.
ure of the logs into lumber furnished employ.
ment to a large number Of American mills and
wage-earners and that the cost and risk Of tow.
ing the RATS to the United States afford Q falP
degree of protection. II came out. for example,
that the cost OF towage across Georgian Bay and
Lake Huron was S15 thousand feet. and that
all risks had to be carried by the owners OF the
logs. inasmuch no insurance companies wou1
assume them. The effect Of the tarir Of 1894
had been especially injurious. Mr. Goodyear said.
in dumping on the American market enormous
quantities OF the cheaper grades OF Canadian
lumber. such as will not pay to export to Eu.
rope and which come into the nearby markets
OF the United States at a small charge for freighe
and free OF duty.
This statement was corroborated by xr. "iD-
chester. OF West Virginia. who declared ioat ~
the lumber yards south OF the Ohio River sFe
crammed with the cheaper grades OF lumber. 10
only value Of which is as collateral for loans"
1t appeared from a remark dropped by NJ.
Tawney the Minnesota member OF the comin1-
tee. however. that by no means all the Imports