The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-29
Eastern States Largely Supply
Lumber and Single Camps.
JOB ron WASHINGTON FARMER


How To reduce the amount Of annual im-
ports Of food and farm products orousne
into the state for consumption in the log
rtnx. lumber and shingie camps Of the
sfafe q q problem which IL just now OF
Great interest In tho counties OF skag't,
6uohonish and Whatcom. lying between
Seattle and the boundary between the
limited States and British Columbia, there
was dlsburssd for labor In the year end
ing June -. 1889. approximately N.z1.vo
In the lumber and sningie industries alone.
Statistics gathered by General Manager
1. &. Miller, OF the Seattle Il international
Railway Company. show that owing TO the
scant supply of Washington farm ana
food products the mills and camps In TINS
district where thousands OF men are en-
ployed, have been largely supplied from
importatfons from Eastern states. aggre-
eating since January last approximately
$4,000 in value.
Mr.. Miller has prepared some interesting
tables OF statistics showing the growth and
Importance OF the lumber and shingie In
duotries In the northern tier OF counties.
which 10 directly tributary In trade and
commercial way to Seattle. These figures
show tbs enormous disproportion between
the weaith-pro6ucing capacity OF the ium-
Der and single Industries and those OF the
farming communities. The fact Is brought
out In strong relief that the boarding
camps In the mill towns and logging CEN
tiers ara supplied TO great extent with
eggs, vegetables, butter and other farm
products which can be raised In this state.
but which come from Eastern and Middle
Western states. TO the loss o. the Washing
ton farmcrA
A Comparison Of Values.
Tho shingie mills and lumber camps are
scattered thickiy along the line of the Sc
attic x International between this city
and the international boundary. The dis
trfct II constantly increasing ia wealth
production. According TO figures obtained
by Mr.. Miller, the district produced no less
than I,o26.oo.0oo shingles during the year
ending June 30 last, the total value OF
which. at $i.& Der thousand. WAS 81 2s2. 800.
II IL the common custom to value farm
ing land In this state by its ability 20
raise wheat II the output in shingles Of
the northwestern counties. valued at It's
per thousand. were converted. for the sake
OF Illustration. into 6o-cent wheat. IL would
equal 2.5s5.0oo bushels.
According To Mr.. Milier's contention. the
shingle and numbering industries of tho
northern counties contribute far mere TO
the benefit of the state. and particularly
to Seattle. than II the country produced
wheat, on the ratio above given. Figur-
Ing on the basis computed by Mr. Miller
II would require a strip OF land two miles
wide and 100 miIes long every acre being
under cultivation. To produce in wheat at
twenty bushels per acre. the same wealth
as is produced annually by the lumber and
shinxle industries OF the northern counties
1t IL estimated that for every 1.oco
shingles produced In the state there is ex-
pended on labor account So cents On this
reckoning the amount OF money paid out
10 wage earners according 10 General Man
axer Miller. during the year ending June
20 last. In the manufacture OF shingles
Acne, was approximately ST.. 100
All Are Consumers.
Now. the report Of the state labor bureau
Tor 1899 gives tho cost Of raising wheat at
3 cents per hushel. On this basis Mr. NIL
Ter figures that there would have been ex-
pended on labor account had wheat been
the main rrednc, OF Northwestern Wash
fngton instead OF lumber and shingles but
sIls.2n. Included iu the estimate of tha
cost Of raising wheat per bushel IS the
interest on the money invested In the
farm. while no such charge Is contained In
the cost Of the shingles per thousand
1T IL but fair 10 consider" Mr.. Miller
said yesterday. that the wheat grower
raises nearly everything he eats. while
the men employed In the shingle and l,ru-
be- industries produce nothing. hui con-
aanie all the products Of agriculture The
shinslc and lumber worker must exnena
IN or should be produced by the Washing
ter farmer Adding 10 the amount esft
mated Sc have been paid out FOR labor In
the manufacture OF shingles. The aa,oun,
ef wages paid IN the lumber mills IN the
northwestern part af the state. aud the
total is not FAR short Of 81 asaoen
Now. THE camps in which men are en-
played In making lumber and shingles.
which rasy through Seattle every dav an
"a
Iowa. Ninnesoia md Wisconsin I'm ina
matter Of farm products and subsistence.
This state or things exists ard r. s. a con-
dftion which should re met and taken Al
vantage ~ by the Washington farmer.
Since January last. there have hean
imported into the state no less than sze
600 In poultry, sggs butter and kindred
products. large proportion ~ which have
been consumed nv Eaen employed 81 fhs
lumber AMI shingle industries Of Western
Washington. The point ] make = that
this money could ali be retained IN IN
state, II the farmers of Washington wcs.sa
stse 'heir attention 70 the matter Tho
shingles ara humber we sell all hrlug Esz.-
esu money Into she state hu, vs. keen
those Eastern deglars barely hong .pa.,,b
To rub tina shine CT. They are lrary,essssse-
ly sent hack 70 tho East Ia payment Ter
butter, eggs. poultry and the like
Il. il my enieav0r 90 remedy tssf~ cs1sI-
ton o. affairs as far as II lies IL my oewer
think the suhtses should enlist tss arts9-
ton and cooperation ~ every ntsh}t-
spirited man In the state We ara ga skus
down o1r forests and sending aha pra se,-ts
10 the East. ana what return AZ Fet srss,e
them ~ 80 large extent re~inva<sos fn
Eastern farm products which are -crssirf-
cd IN the ioxslns. lumber ami shinxge cass,f,z
OF the state THIS money. sA - 81 s.sassl.f
be kept here