Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-26
SENATORS AFTER
LUMBER TRUST
TARIFF SHELTERED MONOPOLY
MAY BE CRUSHED
Rows of Brick Barns Line City Ave-
nues as a Result Of erasping
Methods Of Timber
Barons
Special 10 The Herald.

cry one will be pleased to know that
the senate is going after the lumber
trust, through the efforts of Senator
| Khtredge This combination is charged
with putting up the prices to consum-
ers by the most graspng methods. In
cidentally, it has succeeded in prevent
| ing any reduction in the tariff.
AS a result the American people have
| seen their forests disappear, their nils
denuded, exposing their lowlands to the
ravages of floods and weather, while
| they have been compelled to pay enor-
nous tribute to the lumber kings.
There is no question that the opera
tions of this trust have resulted in
great evils, whose connection with the
trust are not } readily appreciated. For
instance, the price of lumber Is so high
| that it has undoubtedly prevented
| thousands of people from building
homes.
In thousands of other cases home
! buyers are compelled to buy brick
houses in a block, where they would
prefer separate 10 and a tasty frame
house Instead of individual houses of
pleasing appearance and individual ar
| chitecture we find rows and rows of
brick barns with not distinguishing
| marks except the trimmings
The prime evil of modernity is con-
gestion of population. 1t is responsible
for most of our physical ills and moral
| sore spots These are truths so patent
as to obviate argument. Any combina-
tion which tends to force congestion of
population Is a national enemy, and
there is no question that the high price
! of lumber operates in that direction.
The way to smash the lumber trust
| is to admit lumber from Canada free.
Canada has exte' sive forests and their
clearing will give additional farm land.
| The admission of its lumber would pro-
| tect our consumers and our forests at
| the same time.
| Now it is proposed to buy millions Of
acres in the Appalachians to protect
| our watersheds at government eX-
| pense! Every one knows that the rea-
son the "cimate is changing" why we
have great storms, huge floods and gen.
orally irritating weather in the winter
| is because the life-giving and life-pre-
| serving forests are silently disappearing
| because the snow has no longer pro-
lection and runs at the first warm ray.
| We are late getting this question,
| but, thank heaven, not too late, and If
a crimp should be taken in the swollen
purses of the lumber kings and a stop
| put to their devastating operations
through the agency of Senator Kit
tredge and his confreres, the American
people will rise and "call him blessed"
Artillery Bill Is Popular
The action of the senate in passing
the bill strengthening and reorganiz-
ing the coast artillery will meet with
general favor. Attention has previous
ly been called in this correspondence
to the necessity of the measure. To
provide millions for expensive fortifi-
| cations and guns to defend them with
a. tCIr 90 f1a,l te,
folly, and congress recognizes it as
we'll as the general public. The bill
will undoubtedly pass the house,
though it may be slightly amended.
1t is generally indorsed by the press
and the friends of the measure are
indebted to the press for it's kindly
influence.
Congressman's Lot Pleasant
"Well, well" as the Snowman says,
our lawmakers have at last mustered
up courage to increase their salaries
so per cent. The lot of congressman
next session promises to be more
$500 a year; they will have goodly
clerk hire allowance; they will get
their stationery and postage free, and
they will have a $S,500,000 office build
| ing set aside for their use.
In view of these facts it seems about
| time they were abandoning the little
campaign dodge of free garden seeds.
When they are provided with offices
and clerks and a good salary 1t looks
as though they might relinquish
petty graft like the pumpkin and
squash seed distribution. The press
has generally approved the increase
| in salaries. Had it been otherwise
congress would have hesitated long
before taking the step. The press has
roasted the turnip seed graft to a
finish; will it's voice be as influential
on that matter?
Dramatic Story of War
at was due to the loyalty of the
Germans to the Union that Missouri
was kept from joining the southern
Confederacy," says Representative
Bartholdt OF Missouri. However,
there was at least one German citizen
of st. Louis who supported the south
ern cause. He was Moritz Niedner,
proprietor of the Missouri State jour
nal. A number of years after the
war I married his daughter and be-
came acquainted with very dramatic
incident in his career that has never
| been told.
"Mr. Niedner had as his chief edi-
| torial writer q Mr.. Tucker of Virginia,
who wrote q red hot editorial attack
ing the north, which aroused the ire
| OF the d6ll' JOilh ~
mont. in command at st. Louis, i'm
mediately took steps to suppress the
paper and arrest the editoro. Tucker,
getting wind of it. fed, but Niedner
was arrested and tried by the military
authorities. He was convicted and
sentenced to be shot.
"When Tucker heard of this he
promptly returned to st. Louis and
waited on General Fremont to whom
he said: I am the man VINO wrote
the editorial, and l alone am respon-
sible for 1t. If you must shoot any
one on account of 1t, shoot me-
General Fremont was so impressed
by fuckers nerve and manly act that
he Immediately issued a pardon for
Niedner and also refused TO arrest
Tucker. A short time after Tucker
left Mrs. Neidner was ushered into
General Fremont's presence. She
knew nothing of the pardon and was
greatly overcome, Throwing herself
at the feet of the general she pleaded
for her husbands life.
"'Rise madam said General Ere
| ,,oo,,t ,,,ith great palIantrV. Your