The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-03
FREE HOMES.

FREE HOMES.
One of the most significant paragraphs
in the census bulletin on Minnesota man.
Ufactures is that which gives these fig
ures in regard to the lumber industry
In 1890 Minnesota had 1872 sawmills en-
ploying 1910 wage-earners and turning
out a product valued at $25,O75. 1872 In
1900 Minnesota had 43S establishments
employing Is. 40 wage-earners and turn
ing out a product valued at $43, 5S5, 141.
In other words, during the ten-year pc
riod the number of wage-earners en-
ployed by Minnesota sawmills decreased
to the number of 1,O3O hands, or about
16 per cent.
and sold, however, increased $18,510,O29,
or nearly "A per cent.
The point in question is this: If the
number of hands decreased over 900, or
16 per cent, was the increase of IA per
cent in the value of sawmill products
due to real growth in volume of prod
uct, or simply to increase in price?
The latter is the correct answer Meth
DDS of lumber manufacture during the
past ten years have not materially chang
ed. The average sawmill hand turned
out in 1900 but little more than the av-
erage hand in 1890 There was some in
| crease in number of feet sawed but
nothing in comparison with the "A per
| cent increase in value. The chief change
was in the organization Of the lumber
men for the control of the market price,
and the passage of the 50 duty incorpo-
rated by the lumbermen, through the in
strumentality of Congressman Tawney,
in the Dingley bill. Artificial price in
| crease was the principal cause of the II
| per cent growth in product value.
The comparison of the Minnesota Ium-
| Der industry with other Minnesota man.
ufacturing industries not protected by
| tariff, brings out the situation in bold
relief.
| There is the flour industry for example
| It showed the greatest absolute growth
| of any Minnesota industry; but this
| growth was general, and extended to
labor as well as increase in product val
ue The SO7 establishments of 1890 increas-
ed to SIP in 19O0-an increase of Sc per
| cent. The 1869 wage-earners of 1890 be-
| came 40S6 in 1SOG-an increase of y per
| cent. The 500 S,0S6 product of 1890 grew
70 o.
p1oducts-four, feed. breakfast foods, and
various cereal preparations-Gn increase
of 80 per cent. In the milling industry,
and especially in the direction of the
new cereal products, there has been far
greater change in methods and machin-
cry than in numbering, and greater in
crease in value of product by reason Of
real increase in volume of production.
Nevertheless, the market value Of the
lumber product showed nearly twice as
large a percentage of increase as the flour
and grist mill product; at the same time
that the lumber industry had is per
cent decrease in hands employed, as
compared with y per cent increase for
flour
Every home builder, every dealer, ev-
cry person who has occasion to examine
lumber quotations. knows that the lum-
Der combine, by reason of it's tarll pro-
tected price lists is putting in it's pocket
the homes and building industry of the
Northwest
That there is no necessity for this 50
duty, that the white pine lumber com
bine of the Northwest is able to meet
all competitors and vanqush them, ev-
eryone knows. That the 81 duty does
by the fact that 16 per cent fewer hands
were employed by the Minnesota lum-
bermen in 1900 than 1890 The chief bene-
f1ciaries are the pine-stumpage kings who
collect the extra 81, first, from the in
dustry, and secondly, after it has been
passed along, from the consumer, the
man who builds homes.
Home building-after all the greatest
factor in the development of any COM
munity, and something which the North
west should encourage by every means
in its powers thus fined and taxed by
a lot of favored stumpage kings with
not half the right and title wi. which
Inc feudal lords in the dark ages col
lected rents from the tenantry
If there is any section of the United
States in need of homes for internal de-
velopment it is the Northwest, tie prai-
ries of Minnesota and the Dakotas. How
long is this sterling Northwestern yeo-
manry to stand 50 tax upon every
| thousand feet of lumber used in home
construction-for the benefit of stumpage
kings?
According to Mr. Sunisto mana ging ed
ifor of TanaOeSa manor Ta,an