Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-20
Lumbermen Present Unique Ar
gument in Favor of D-ty
of So Per Thousand
HIGH PRICE ALLOWS ECONOMY
Without It There Would Be Less Care
in Cutting Timber, and Hence Much
Moro Waste - Careful Methods Cut
Down the Profits - Prepare for
Hearing.

Washington. Nov. 20.-Lumber man
ufacturers and lumbermen have de-
veloped an unique argument for main
tanning the tariff of 50 per thousand
on lumber They declare that the
cheapening Of lumber, which. they say,
would follow reduction Of the tariff,
would make. wasteful numbering nee
essary
| One company operating in the south
claims that the reduction in prices of
yellow pine, following the financial
crisis of year ago, forced it to utilize
been previously utilized. A compare
| lively high price is necessary, these In
terests declare, If lumbermen are to be-
come foresters instead Of merely
wasteful cutters of the natural growth.
1t costs money to use all parts Of the
tree closely, and to leave the forests
so clean that fires will not sweep thru
1t is more expensive, too, to give i'm
mature trees further time to develop
than 1t is to make q clean sweep
OF trees Of all sizes, as was done in
cutting over the great lakes states.
Care Cuts the Profits.
This sort of argument, by which,
according to the present outlook, the
National Lumber Manufacturers as
sociation will set much store. will
have peculiar weight at a time when
Sc Low. Y,p1fp1y N
when the forest service is urging less
wasteful methods of numbering. The
government experts are not likely to
contradict the lumbermens claims
that careful utilization cuts the prof.
it's, nor that they at any time preached
the doctrine that cheaper lumber
might be expected as result of bet
ter forestry.
The fact which has been reiterated Is
that the price of lumber in this coun-
try is not high enough to cover the
cost of reproducing the trees. The cost
Of production is only beginning to f1g-
ure in the price of American lumber
because only natural resources have
thus far been called upon for the sup
ply.
1t Is precisely because they want
cheanse lumber that the plains states
Of the middle west, and the furniture
manufacturing sections, are expected
to fight for lower tariff. And yet,
1t is not sure, in the judgment of at
least one expert, that the expectation
Of either the lumbermen or the con-
sumers will be realized. Lower prices
thru reduction Of tariff could follow
ip,n 10 nf Can.
adian lumber, and it is not certain
that, with the single exception of white
pine. importations would be greatly
increased. The Canadian government
is suspected of favoring a policy of
keeping its lumber at home, so far as
possible. But even aside from this,
the question Of demand enters in.
Mnnesotans Stand for Tariff.
The government experts have figures
which show that there is great de-
mand in the plains provinces of Canada
for the lumber products of British Coz
lumbia. These provinces are develop
ing very rapidly, and statistics secured
by the forest service year ago showed
that the price secured in the Canadian
plains provinces for British Columbia
lumber was actually higher than the
price paid in the Dakotas for lumber OF
the same kind produced in Oregon and
washington. This condition has led to
small shipments into Canada from the
far northwest Of this country.
The eleven years which have passed
since the enactment of the Dingley
tariff have brought about greatly
changed conditions in the lumber busi-
ness. The great lakes states have so
far lost their standing as pine ,produc-
ers that Minnesota lumbermen recently
decided to stand for the present tariff,
largely because lumbermen in other
parts of the country want 1t, and not
primarily because it would help them.
The chief demand for a protective tariff
on lumber has travelled to the demo-
cratic, free trade south, where yellow
pine is being largely produced, and to
the west, where there is much Douglas
fir.
Lumbermen Are Gathering.
The lumbermen of the country are
gathering in Washington for the hear
ing before the ways and means COM
mittee on the lumber schedule in the
Dingley tariff law. a. B. Walker and
]. E. Rhodes Of Minneapolis arrived
Yesterday They are representing the
Northern Pine Manufacturers asso-
citation and are opposed to any reduc-
4,.,, of tho nrosopt 611fv 0f 50 a thou. I