The San Francisco call., 1897-01-01
LUMBER MEN WHO
ASK PROTECTION
Higher Duties Required for
the Manufacturers of
Wood.
Millions Invested in an Industry
That Is at Present on
the Wane.
Members of the Ways and Means
Committee Told About Comp
tion With Canada.

the subjects OF the nearing lo-uay ny lHe
Committee on Ways and Means. The
hearing was opened on behalf of the
lumber interests by c. D. Goodyear of
Buffalo who had been designated for the
purpose by the Cincinnati lumber conven-
tion, and who was accompanied by two
OF her representatives of that industry.
Mr. Goodyear said that recent events
convinced the lumber people that the pro-
tecuve idea would prevail at least until
The assem- bling of a new Congress. As
suming that protection to American labor
and industries would be the policy of the
incoming administration, the lumber
people we're present to demand what was
due them. There was invested in this in
dustry over $3.50, 0,000, CO., 1t was one of the
most important industries deserving con-
sideration at line hands of the committee.
There were at least 900, 600 persons directly
engaged in it and altogether there were
100000 people receiving their livelihood
from ;his great industry.
He said that the lum bermen were Tot
asking anything exorbitant nor beyond
what was reasonable. What they asked
was, substantially, that white pine, hem
lock, password and sycamore be placed
on the same footing as spruce, which was
now protected by duty OF 81 per thou
sand, while the others h. ad had only pro-
lection Of 81. Under all tariff legislation
he said, spruce had remained under the 81
clause. Under this protection the prod
ucts OF Maine, represented by those in
Congress who looked after her welfare,
had never failed to have protection to the
extent OF 81 a thousand, while white pine.
hemlock, sycamore and all other woods
were protected only TO the extent of 81.
The chairman Dingley OF Maine) re-
marked that Maine was pine-tree State.
Yes" Mr.. Goodyear replied, "a pine
tree State without any pine, but with lot
OF spruce, of which a new crop can be
raised every thirty years"
Dolliver (R.) of Iowa asked whose fault
it was that other lumb Der had not received
the same protection as spruce.
"It was the fault OF the lumb bermen
themselves" said Mr.. Goodyear 'Unul
1892 they never seemed 10 have awakened
from their lethargy. They came here &,
that time, but the sentiment at that time
was directed against the protective idea,
and they failed 10 accomplish what they
asked for. Now, the lumbermen of this
country are crushed, and they have learned
OF the important features of the tariff act
better than they did before. They have
found out that under free trade, as it is
under the Wilson act, the industry has
gone into decay, and to-day they are suf-
fering from foreign competitioE to an ex-
tent that they never suffered before. The
failures among lumbermen have been
larger than in any other large and leading
industry. II amounts to almost paralysis
in some sections of the country. In the
State of Michigan aad in the Northwest
generally the payroIls of lumber have
fallen off more than 40 per cent since the
free-tr trade tariff bill has been in opera.
ton"
The Chairman-Do you ask that duty
OF 81 be placed on all kinds of lumber?
the duty OF 81 be applied to all kinds of
lumber.
Canada was the greatest competitor in
woods. The conditions prevailing there
were much more liberal. Here the Gov
eminent demand So per thousand on its
stumpage against so cents in Canada.
Labor in Canada was less and here the
lun bermen paid over So. 600, 600 annually
on their lands, while the Canadians pay
no taxes a. all. In his opinion the present
rate on railroad t.as. telegraph and tele-
phone poles and fence rails and poles
should be continued.
In reply to Russell OF Connecticut, he
said that he would not tax logs. ALI of
the logs entering here came from Canada;
their handling and milling gave employ
ment to vast number of laborers, and
the cost of bringing the logs to the United
States and the risk involved amounted to
a protection himself Many mills and a
larse amount of labor depended on this
supply, and the lumberlnen did not want
to damage this branch of the industry.
Canada was also sending all of her cheap
lumber here, to the detriment of our insti-
tutions.
The chairman remarked on the question
of revenue from lumber that between 1890
and 1895 the importation OF lumber had
Increased, while the revenue had fallen
over $1,000, 900 10 $4,000
1--WE surrendered he added, Isl 300, 900
IN revenue and gave the Canadians the
privilege of importing $13. 600, 600 worth of
lumber here without any advantage to
this Government"
Il thank the chairman very much, I"
Mr.. Goody1 ar replied, "for the statement
he has made. / deem that statement only
necessary TO sustain my argument, which
is that the Government has not only
under the present tariff lost a large
amount of revenue, but that the law has
also melted competition against us in one
of the greatest industries of the country" !"
The act of 1890, he said, gave Iumb an
average protection of so per cent, and that
of 1894 an average of 35 per cent. The
lumbermen were now asking 81 per 1000.
an average of about 20 per cent and a
lwer average than had been given in any
tariff bill in the past thirty years They
asked this and thought that the business
warranted it.
Tawney OF Minnesota inquired whether
it was true that there existed com bIna-
ton or trust among the lumbermen.
Goodyear-There is no such thing in
existence in the United States, and it is
not possible.
|. .. Enochs of Jackson, Miss, appeared
on behalf of Southern lumber ano asked
why it should be Disseminated agtinst in
favor of cotton, tobacco and 'smountain
dew
Thomas Walker OF Minneapolis asked