Omaha daily bee., 1907-10-07
pine. ,s,art. the Row.

aEATTflrc. Wash. Oct 6.--(Special)-A
1n-csnt niece has tprecipitated a contest OF
millions In the northwest. The railways
ana the lumber interests, the largest In
dustry on the upper Pacific coast. are In a
struggle the equal of which has not before
been seen in the west. The lumbermen
are worth millions. and have raised a tund
OF s25o.OOO to hight the northern transcon-
tinental lines the head and front of which
= James J. Hill.
II A an advance of 10 cents per 100 pounds
on lumber shipments to Omaha and the
middle, states, scheduled to take place No
yennber 1, that has aroused the lumber man.
ufacturers This seemingly small increase
means about % per cent more in the cost
Of transportation OF lumber from the state
of Washington to the eastern market. and
the .unibermen assert that it means loss
of 80 per cent Of their total business a
shrinkage OF their eastbound trade BY from
50 to 90 per cent, the discharge OF 5000 men
in the mills and logging camps, the reduc-
ton OF income from the numbering industry
by siOoOo,OOo. and demorallzing effect on
ali industry In the states affected.
As It is, the lumber rates into the terri
tory around the Missouri river are so high
that It pays TO ship only the highest grades
OF lunucTt dn0s GS u NOhoCqtcHNtt NoSh
year washington burns UP in lumber slab
piles and leaves waste In the forest 5000
carloads Of what would otherwise be con-
sidered snerohantable timber. and this loss
represents si2.OOOoOO annually. Yet. with a
reduction instead OF an increase of 10 cents
per 100 pounds. the greater part of this
waste could be utilized, and millions OF
dollars would be saved; while the lumber
pier' assert that the forests would not dis
appear any more rapidly than now. The
Interstate Commerce commission win be
asked 90 reduce the rate to the desired
1gure.
Hearing 90 BE Had sSOn.
This fight the iumbermen viii make win
come before the Interstate Commerce COM
mission and win be heard by that tribunal
at the earliest possible date following the
advance in rates. The burden OF the lum-
bermens plea will be that they will be
virtually barred out of the middle states
by the increase, for Il viii be impossible
for them TO compete with the lumber ship
ped in there from the south and from
Michigan and Wisconsin. The railroads win
reply that their operating expenses have
increased 80 rapidly that they need more
revenueI that the lumbermen are prosperous
and can AFFORD TO pay more for transporta-
ton; that teo many empty cars are being
hauled westward 60 beneft the lumber in
ierests. and that hauling an empty car is
In expensive proposition.
Two features In the more distant future
are In the lumbermen's favor. but aid
cannot be expected OF them. soon.
One Is the building OF the Hartman sys-
TEN northward into Seattle from Portland,
and the other Is the extension OF the Chi
eago. Milwaukee q 81. Paul railway into
the northwest President Earring OF the
ST. Paul. asserts that II he can have four
trainlcads OF lumber day from the north
western states on his line he will. with
the proceeds pay the entire operating ex-
penses OF his long extension.
Nesthern Paeine's share.
The Northern Pacinc is the chief lumber
carrier Of the state OF Washington. 1t
transports about IS per cent Of the east
bound trafiae. and the Great Northern the
remainder, or the greater part OF 1t. AS
II IL the lumbermen pay the Northern Pa