The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-03-27
humphreys Declares Tat
Fifty Per Cent Of Employees
Are 0rientalS

HlliiS tneTe lDan Ill the state OF w ASH
ington. That statement was errone-
GUS, he said. He declared that over
so per cent OF the men engaged in the
lumber and shingle mills of British
Columbia were Orientals, who were
paid lower wages than American mill
laborers. and that, therefore. the cost
OF production was less. Out of the 49,
500 men employed in the shingle mills
of Washington. Mr.. Humphrey claimed
there were but Al Orlentals. He also
said that of the 10000 men employed
In the lumber and shingle industry of
that state, there were but $4,000 Orien-
tails.
Mr.. Humphrey, in pleading for an in
creased duty on shingles. warned the
Republicans that they could not cs-
cape their responsibility insofar as
the problem of Oriental labor was con-
cerncd.
Now" he said, I'VE have an oppor-
tupity TO sec whether OF not We are
going back on what We have said
about protecting the labor of this
country from the ruinous competition
of foreign countries"
While the Payne bill he said, has
protected the industries of New Eng
lnnd. Pennsylvania aud New York and
they were In operation, out In Wash
ington the conditions were exactly
the reverse.
"Our mills are closing" he said,
and men are being thrown out OF
employment
He recounted the benefits derived
under the Dingley bill and inquired
how he, as a Republican and a protec-
ZIONIST, could go back 10 his constitu-
ents and say that the Payne bill was
botter than the Dingley bill.
On the authority of Mr.. Fordney. OF
Michigan. the Washington member
said that the witnesses before the com
mittee on ways and means, who want
cd lumber put on the free list. were
men interested In Canadian, timber.
while those who asked for the reten-
tion Of the Dingley duty. were men in
terested In timber in the United
States.
I'VE ought not to hesitate long when
the question Is presented. he said,
for whom We shall legislator"
Mr. Byrd asked Mr.. Fordney IL 1t
were not true that a combination eX-
listed among the retail dealers of Mis-
sissippi, to which Mr.. Fordney's firm
which is operating In that state, was
party,
Mr. Byrd added that he knew where
OF he spoke, when he charged the eX-
istence of such a combination.
"The gentleman does not know a
damned thing about it, shouted Mr..
Fordney.
Immediately Mr.. Byrd made his way
toward Mr.. Fordney. but several DEM
ocratic members stopped him, Mr..
Fordney apoloeized to the house. He
added however, that Mr.. Byrd could
not say that his firm was member of
the lumber trust
Mr. Byrd then explained that 1t was
not his intention to make such a
charge. and the incident closed.
Mr.. Fordney. who is member OF
the ways and means committee and an
ayowed high protectionist, discussed
at length the lumber schedule.
Some people. he said, had gone into
Mysteries over the question of free
lumber He challenged any one pres
ent TO pick out a single prominent In
dustly In the United States that had
as low an ad valorem protection as
lumber.
III response to various questions re-
garding the Canadian competition In
lumber, Mr.. Fordney declared high
and low grade Canadian lumber were
met with their respective grades In
the United States. Duty on the grades.
he said, was not needed as much as on
the low grade and this was desired In
order TO compete With the foreign pro-
,luction He denied that lumber from
the southern states was going TO Can
ada in any considerable quantity, cX-
cept long leaf and yellow pine
Mr. Fordncy admitted in response to
question by Mr., Bartlett, OF Georgia,
that whether the duty on lumber was
Increased, lowered or reduced. south
ern lumber could not be carried into
tho territory north of the Ohio river
in competition with Canadian lumber,
because Of prohibitiye freight rates.
Mr.. Slayden OF Texas and Mr. Hardy
of the same state. declared they had
good reason TO believe a lumber trust
or combination exists TO fix the prices
on lumber
II have been In the lumber business
since | was a boy" said Mr. Fordney,
-'and | have never known of a lumber
trust"
The cross fire regarding a so-called
lumber trust irritated Mr. Fordney,
who finally refused To answer any
more questions. and insisted on proofs
AMI not general statements.
Mr.. Fordney said those who had ap-
peared before the ways and means
committee 10 ask for free lumber had
large holdings in British Columbia
Mr. Fordney declared there had been
marked downward tendency in the
) price of lumber during the last two
years, and that IL the duty on lumber
had been taken off, his lumber manu-.
featuring company would close Its mill,
| throwing 300 employees out of work
and keeping the mill Idle until better
times. He said In response TO ques.
! tIon from Mr., Ransdcll OF Louisiana
that much of the complaint OF the pres
ent duty on lumber came from re-
elons where all Of the timber had
been cut and which had been largely
benefited by the Dingley law.
| Mr. Fordney admitted that most OF
tho large timber tracts were owned
by men OF means, who he said, could
afford To hold on until prices suited
them.
| Tho next member fo command thc