Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-27

VINO were paid lower wages thar
American mill laborers and that there.
lore the cost of production was less
Out of the 1850 men employed in the
shlnglc mills of Washington, Humphre,
said, there were but Al OrientaIs
He also said that of the 10000 ,ner
employed in the lumber and shinsle
industry of that state there were but
1870 Oricntals.
Humphrey in pleading for an in
creased duty on shingles warned the
Republicans that they do not escape
their responsibility insofar as the prob
lem of Oriental labor was concerned
Nov" he said, I'VE have an oppor-
tunitv to see whether we are going
back on what we have said about pro-
tectng the labor of this country from
the ruinous competition Of the labor of
foreign countries"
While the Payne bill he said, pro-
tected the Industries of New England.
Pennsylvania and New York and they
We're in operation. out in Washington
the conditions were exactly the re-
verse THE mills are closing" he de
cltIed. land men are being thrown out
of employment
He discussed the benefits derived I'M
der the Dingley bill and enquired how
he, IS a Republican and Il protection
list. could go back to his constituents
and say that the Payne bill was better
than hhe Dinghy law.
On the authority of Fordney, (Mich),
the Washington member asserted that
the witnesses before the committee on
ways and means who wanted lumber
put on the free list We're men interested
in Canadian lumber, while those who
asked for the retention of the Dingiey
duty were men Interested in timber in
the United States. I'VE ought not to
hesitate long when that question is
presented" he said. cas- to who we
snall ltgislate for
For,lney, Mich, Il member of the
committee On ways and means and an
avov.d high protectlonSt. discussed
at length the lumber schedule. Some.
people. he said, had gone into Mysteries
over the question of free lumber. He
challenged any one present 10 pick out
single prominent industry in the
United states that had as low rate
ad yalorem protection as that given
lumber
In response to various questions re-
garGing the Canadian competition In
lumber. Fo,irtiney declared that high
Grade and low grade Canadian lumber
we're met with their representative
GRADES in the United states. nuty
on the high grade he said was NOT
needed as much as on the low grade
and this was desired in ORDER 10 com
note with the foreign producers he
denied that lumber from the Southern
states was going into Canada IN any
considerable quantities except long rear
yellow pine. ,as
Forlney admitted in response 10 i gus
ton by Bartlett, Ca, mat whether Wy
duty on lumber was increased lowered o'
removed. Southern lumber couid h"' p'
carried into the territory north OF 'h'
ohio river in competition with tahaoian
lumber because of prohibitive freish'
rates.
Slavden and Hardy, Tex, declared tha'
they had good reasons to belleVe that d
lumber trust or combination exists 10 I'm
the price of lumber.
"I have been in the lumber business
CT, 20 T was a boy" said Fordney. ana
T bava never known of a lumber trust.
CO. called lumber trust irritated fordheF'
who finally refused to answer any MOI
questions and insisted on proofs anu ho'
general statements about a iunpel ''"'.
| axisting. Arguing for the reteht'oi VI
the duty on lumber. Fordney saiu Una.
those who appeared before the WAYS anu
means committee to ask for Tree l''ihpe'
have large holdings in British Coiuhlpi''
| 1,ordnev declared that there had been
very marked downward tendency IN INC
nr;ce Of lumber during the past TWO year
ard that if the duty on lumber should pe
| .,,.ar off his lumber manufacturing CON-
| - would close its saw mill. throwing
! aoo ar,n,oves out of work and Keeping ''''
| Iii, ;d,e until better times. He saio IL
| ,.o.,,onsa TO n question that much OF '''
,,,,,,.;nt Of the present duty on hummer
80. ,ro,, regions where all of the TIM
her has been cut ana Wh'ei ne
| ,.rse,v benefited by the Dlnsies Id"
| Eordney admitted that most oi '',e
timber tracts are owned by men oi n'eai''
who. he said, could afford 10 hoio VI,
III nrices suit them. lie declare" ~
uculd not dispose of his stahoiis '''''
| ,nt;, he could get his price LOT H.
Taking up hides. Fordney provoNeu az
,,,,s.. when he said they were put VI
Tho free list of the Payne bill against "'
earnest protest.
rordnev spoke of determinations =
ao;ns+ American citizens ana IL
49, Connection mentioned the maximum
40 ,,,;n;n,m features of the bill ana IL
said, by the Heavens aoose " ,. ,,,,e,
tend we have right to s'rihe '''e"
Sn NJ Fordney said he would like to nay nay
the tariff on cotton goods so h's" w s,
no foreigner could make a shl,, us 10 Sr~
Nv 80 hack of the man in MISSISSIPPI