The Minneapolis journal., 1901-10-05
RECIPROCITY
IN NORTHWEST
Regarded With More Favor
Than Formerly.
LOGS FROM CANADA
Lumbermen View Northern Compel
itors With Small Apprehension.
MILLERs HAVE MUCH TO GAIN
JObbers Also Interested, for Tariff
Revision Might Greatly En-
large Their Territory.

The vigorous canvass which the adyo-
Gates Of reciprocity and tariff revision are
making in the northwest develops the fact
that the future battles for protection to
| Amkican lumber will in a great degree
fall upon the shoulders Of the yellow pine
| manufacturers of the southern states
| With the white pine manufacturer of the
northwest it has been more question OF
supply than competition during the past
three years. With the same conditions
ruling as at present, the big fear Of the
white pine manufacturer regarding
changes of tariff is the bad effect on busi-
ness Of the agitation Of the question.
There is every evidence in northwest
business circles that reciprocity and tariff
revision have gained numerous and pow
erful friends during the past six months.
| This is partly the result of the vigorous
work done by organizations in the east
| favoring these two principles and partly
the ambition of the northwest to increase
| its export trade on -four and it's general
trade with Canada. Business men individ-
ually, and boards of trade, have been
asked to take action and do some work for
the general principle. Western business
men have been specially sounded on the
question of better trade relations with
Canada. year has put the business
men of the northwest on advanced ground.
Minneapolis business men see in reciproc-
| ity and tariff revision an opportunity to
make a sensational addition to the jobbing
territory of Minneapolis.
Canada and Her Lumber.
With the exception of the -four inter
ests, Canada is conceded to be the larg-
est proposition for this section of the
United States when it comes to changes
in the tariff Most of the manufacturing
and jobbing interests, with the exception
of lumber, have much to gain and little to
| lose. Among the lumbermen sentiment as
to what the reductionx Gin sri on man
| ufactured lumber should be and how
those reductions should be made is divid-
ed. Most of the white pine manufactur-
ers are agreed that agitation tending to
make conditions uncertain is the greatest
danger. One of the men whose holdings
| OF white pine timber are among the larg-
est In the northwest says:
Lumbermen realize that reciprocity and
especially with Canada is rapidly growing in
raYor. 1t is bound to come. The white pine
lumber interests have been reasonably pros
porous during the past three years. The de-
mand for two years has been SO good that the
big trouble has been to secure the supply
do not hesitate to say that if the tariff
on lumber was taken off to-day without the
usual long preliminary agitation which un-
settles business, we would feel the change but
very little. This section of the country will
have logs to saw for many years to come but
1t must be admitted that the timber supply
is being rapidly reduced. The tariff has done
much to aid the lumber trade Of Minnesota
mills and develop the industry here. But
with the decreasing supply Minnesota has less
at stake in tariff consideration, while the
other sections of the country, like the south
with its yellow pine, have more We have
been on the firing line in all of the contests
over the tariff. The future presents more Of
problem for the broad shoulders of the
southern lumberman and democrat and the
owner of timber on the Pacific coast
POsitiOn of Yellow Pine.
The effect Of reciprocity on the lumber
industry of Minnesota has been thoroughly
gone into by the advocates Of the prin-
ciple here. The proceedings of the high
joint commission leave no doubt that the
first great concession asked by Canada
would be on lumber. She seeks a market
for the vast supply upon which her mills