Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-08
New Brunswick Legislators
Talk About Matter.
Log Expectation Means Much to St
John Trade.
Nothing Will Probably Be Done at
Present Legislature.

anu lINl1lS loul VI Sol. SOtCpiiCI, tiiiA
Archie Fraser of Donald Fraser & Son
of this city.
Messrs. Todd expressed themselves
as being strongly opposed to legislation
proposed by the resolution, while Mr..
Fraser declared in it's favor.
Frank Todd, who carries on extern
Sive numbering operations on the St
CroiX. and other parts of the province,
was first called. He said he believed
il would be Il great mistake for the
Legislature to prohibit the expectation
to the United States Of saw logs cut OH
crown lands of the province, as it would
be very likely to provoke retaliation
which would prevent American logs
manufactured in New Brunswick from
entering the United States free of duty
He pointed out that from $4,000 600
to l5G,000,000 of lumber from Quebec
and Maine is annually brought down
the st. John river and manufactured IN
| this province. This has been going on
| for so years or more and nothing should
be done by the Legislature To stop it,
II the United States and Quebec were
to adopt Il policy such as is proposed
by the resolution. the result would GER
| than anything that city can possibly
lose by the greater Or ess amount of
! round logs exported from New Bruins
| wick. He thought the question might
very well be left for the government to
deal with at some future time. by in
| creasinS the stumpage on logs cut for
export. but prohibition should not be
adopted at present.
lie did not know what quantity of
| logs was cut from crown lands on the
st. CroiX for export, but it was very
| trivial. For the past 10 years the
quantity of American logs brought into
New Brunswick ranged from 60 900, 900
| to 100, 900, coo. and he believed it would
be close to 10O,0OO,OOO this year. This
lumber was cut principally by Cana
dams, and he estimated the cost of
| driving ii to st. John was from $3.50 to
$3.50 per thousand. all expended in the
province. Then the cost of manufact-
uring and shipping must be added to
this.
Asked as to the probable result
should the United States repeal the
statute allowing American logs to be
brought here for manufacture. Mr..
logs would then go to Maine mills If
that happened the labor would be lest |
to New Brunswick people and there
would also be loss in freights from st.
John schooners.
He did not think the Americans
would bring their logs down the river
if they We're required to pay a duty on
them entering the United States. Most
of the logs cut on the ST. Crox were,
he said, manufactured in mills on the
American side of the line. He was in
terested in three of these mills and two
thirds of their workmen were Cana
dians.
Mr.. Todd thought it would be very
desirable If all the wheat grown in
Canada could be ground here. but it
could not very we'll be done. The same
argument would apply to the log uues-
ton. He believed that by properly
outstanding the timber lands the sup
ply would not diminish. On the south
shore of New Brunswick quite a bus
mess is done in exporting lime to the
L. ;. and this will be destroyed if the
resolution is passed.
To MIR. Fleming Mr.. Todd said that
if Il duty was put on American lumber
manufactured in New Brunswick, hold
erS of American limits on the upper
''urcn and stop their logs there. If
st. John would either have to secure
reduction Of Stumpage or devise other
ways of getting their lumber to mar
ket. They might establish mills at Van
Ruren and stop their logs there If
the expectation of logs were prohibit
ed in New Brunswick there was a
probability Of the U. s. governmet
withdrawing the privilege now extend |
ed to this province. The operators on |
the st. John and st. Croiy have ONLY
been able to hold this privilege with |
great efforts as parties in Bangor had
frequently endeavored to have it re- |
moved. |
The American government would |
look upon the legislation Of the kind |
proposed as absolute prohibition in
stead of discrimination
He believed that the balance of trade |
in round logs as between New Bruns- |
wick and Maine was 50 per cent in IA |
vor of New Brunswick. They send us |
3O.O00,C00 feet and we send them
100000 or lO.OO0,000 and so long as the |
balance is overwhelmingly in our ia
vOr we should be satisfied
He thought if Mr.. Cushing could |
not get American logs for his mill as |
he gets them now he would remove to |
American soil. He thought that only |
the best quality Of cedar could be tax |
en- to st. John from the upper section |
of the river and manufactured at a |
profit.
Irving Todd thought the business of |
getting out pulp wood for American |
market would be destroyed if the reso-
luton passed. There is now one mill in |
Canada that uses poplar pulp wood
and that is at Montreal and handles
but a limited quantity. Excessive
freight rates would prevent shipments
to that mill. There is no chance for
poplar pulp mills in New Brunswick
and none have been established in
Maine for Is years.
He shipped 30OO cords of poplar pulp
wood to the American market. last year.
and expected the quantity would be II OHl |
cords. this year. Most of this came from
granted lands. He expected to extend the
hilSinncc. 20 SactipDS M ha