The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-22
LUMBERMEN CLUB It
They Are Piling Up Objections
Against the Morris Bill.
MORRIS EXPECTS TO MEET THEM
He Believes the Bill Will Pass II
1t Is Given Consider
alton.
From The Journal Buream, Eoo,, 40. Post
Building, Washington.

From The Jomrnas Burea,. loom 80. Pos,
Building, Washington.
Washington. May 22.-The objections of
the lumbermen of Minnesota and other
states TO the Morris bill for the disposal
OF timber on the Chippewa reservations in
Minnesota have been set before parties
in Washington interested in this legisla
tlon, ard by them in turn laid before
members CT congress who would have the
bill amended to suit the demands of these
lulnbermen.
According to those who are cc0versant
with the situation, all the big lurnberInen
OF Minnesota are more or less actively
opposed to the proposed bill. These OPP
orators have al! the timber land they
want now. or will want for number Of
years, They are accordingly using their
best endeavors to have action on the bill
delayed and. if possible, defeated. One
objection after another is being offered
in the hope that the bill will be amended
to such an extent that the Minnesota
delegation will not accent it. The OBJ
lection which has weight with Speaker
Hen6erse THAT raised by the Dubuque
operators about the provision relating to
cleaning up the debris-can be met by the
friends of the measure when it comes up
in the house, and that opposition can be
rlacated This is what Judge Morris be-
lieves. He says that he is willing to
accept an amendment to this paragraph
which will meet the wishes Of the Du
buque people, but he is not willing to
concede that the objection of the other
lumTbermen-those from Minnesota and
Wisconsin-are raised for any other pur-
pose tran 20 delay action.
The cry Of the opposition to the Nor
ris bill is that it is not drawn so that
the law can be administered on business
principles" They charge that the vital
Nil inc
manner of the sale, the cutting of the
timber ard the cleaning up OF the refuse
after the timber is cut, is impractical. II
followed out, they say, it will result IN
the timber being sold at price much
less than would be received for the timber
under the proper and business-like meth
DDS and rules governing these points.
It is contended that the terms of the
bill are too Indefinitely The objectlns
lumbermen say that no time is specified
in which to remove the timber and the
details relating to cleaning up the refuse
are obscure. Another objection is that
bidders cannot know whether they viii
receive awards for a large or small
tract, and that they cannot know whether
the timber they are allowed to purchase
is on contiguous tracts or tracts widely
scattered. This objection would be over.
come, it is urged, il the timber were solo
at public auction The buyer at auc'
tion would know what he is getting. If
for instance, at the beginning of SALE
he lad bough tract in one location, h
could afford to Day more for contiguous
| tracts than he had paid for the origina
! tract; but under the sealed bid method
not knowing whether the tract to b.
| awarded him on his bids were to be con
tiguous or not, he would be obliged il
protection, to bid on the suppositiol
that he would not get contiguous tract
in order. to protect himself against tina
contingency.
Another argument against the scale
bid proposition, offered by the lumber
men, says practically this: cit is a mis-
take to suppose that sealed bids will
serve as a protection against collision o.
the part of buyers. 1t has been ampl,
demonstrated by unnunbered experience
in all lines of public business, from tn
| furnishing of coal for county heatin
plant up to building a state; capitol, tina
sealed bids are rot only not a protec
ton against collision, but are a mos
successful and convenient channel for it
practice" 10 49,.
These are the objections offered to tn
Morris bill and which the opponents c
the measure hone to instill in the mind
OF members in the hope that they wi
vote against it, AS before stated, Judg
Morris thinks that he can meet these oh
| jections. and he is certain that the hi
will pass, if Speaker Henderson will onl
give q day for its consideration.