The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-09
McCIeary on Lumber.

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clean daft on the subject of the tariff
on lumber. In recent interview, given
by him to representative of our con-
temporary, The Review, he speaks of
1.-The people who are bowling about the
tariff on lumber" The term 'howling"
is generally applied to dogs or wolves,
and is not very affectionate or en-
dearing word to apply to his own con-
stituents. But it serves to express the
probable fact, that he has come home
in hot state of mind as he finds his
old friends all broken up over many
things involved in his congressional
candidacy.
One of the peculiarities of Mr.. Nc
Cleary, is his assumption of some SUI
perior knowledge on public and polit
zeal questions, not possessed by the av-
erage citizen. This is especially true
of tariff problems. More than once he
has assumed to tell leading citizens
that they do not understand these
questions, but he would teach them
what is correct. The 'schoolmaster"
idea still dominates him.
Let us look at this tariff upon lum
Der, and squarely from republican
standpoint. Mr.. McCleary said in his
tariff speech, April 22nd, 1904: ''To-
day in my district there is no more life
i'll the free lumber cry than in a last
years birds nest" Let us see. 1t is
fact that present prices on lumber are
so high that they are almost prohibi-
tive. 1t is also equally well known,
that these prices are fixed and main
tanned by an association of the lumber
manufacturers and dealers, for the ex-
press purpose of securing enormous
profits. This association controls lum-
Der prices throughout all the northwest.
Every dealer in lumber in this con-
gressional district, is controlled and dis
ciplined by this dominant association.
He is bound by its orders as rigidly as
the agents of the Standard Oil COM
pany are controlled by their masters,
the Rockefellers. This extortionate,
lumber combine exists wholly and en-
tirely by reason of the present eXac-
tions of our tariff laws. This tariff
law places two dollars per thousand
feet, on all rough lumber. Within the
shelter of that unjust eXaction, the
great lumber trust revels in unjust
wealth acquired from the general pub
lie. Competition is killed dead. BY
this system, the government itself es-
tablishes baronial trust of lumber
kings, who rob the people at their
pleasure, protected by the strong arm
of the government 1t is the true mis-
sion of the republican party to destroy
trusts, not to make them. Therefore,
we demand the removal of the tariff
upon lumber, and we demand the NOM
ination of man for congress from this
district who favors free lumber.
Now, let it not be thought for one
moment, that the removal of this ex-
tortionate tariff, will not reduce the
price of lumber accordingly. 1t is an
historical fact than when the two-dol-
lar duty was put on lumber, the. prices
contemporaneously advanced to the ex-
tent of the tariff, the result of cause
and effect. Even the Northwestern
Lumberman, admitted that fact.
There is not one compensating benefit
by reason of this extortionate tariff
on lumber. Labor receives nothing
from it. 1t goes directly to enrich the
lumbermen, while the burden falls di
rectly upon the farmer and other con-
sumers. If you take the annual
amount of the output of lumber in
this state, then the tariff upon such
output, at 81 per thousand, amounts
to the grand sum of 100000 which the
people of this state alone, pay into the
pockets of the lumber barons, for the
tariff is simply added to the price of
the lumber. Have you ever considered
the actual cost of the production of
lumber, and from that estimate its
profit? The late unhappy family quar-
rel of the Shevlin's, in the Minneapolis
courts, has developed some facts in that
regard, that are truly astounding.
Some secrets were brought to light
which will interest every man who has
building to erect in Minnesota. The
sworn testimony before the court, ellie
tied the fact, that the cost of making
the lumber from log to pile, was only
1910 per thousand and it was also
testified to that the Shevlin mill, de-
clared in one year, dividend of 246
per cent. Is it any wonder that there
are millionaire lumber barons? Is it
any wonder that the people out in the
prairies are "howling" for the removal
of the tariff ON lumber?
Stimulated by these extortionate
prices, Minnesota's great pine forests
are rapidly being swept away. In the
very near future we will be at the
mercy of Canada, or the far haul from
the Pacific coast. Our pine forests can
not be restored in an ordinary life
time. 1t is the business of the states
men to protect, as far as possible the
natural resources of his country. The
way to do this on pine is to establish