The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-06-25
I,IJMBERMEN
MAY LOSE
noPTI ANDORECONIAN COR
RESPONDENT REVIEWS
SITUATION.
Saws Best that Can Be Hoped for
IN Final Action in Conference
l. 81 a Thousand-If Senate
Raises Rate House May Stand
for Free Lumber.

u,
;,7ton correspondent of the Oregonia1
sonds the followir g to his paper:
senators and congressman who, a
rho opening of the special session
toIked of retaining the Dingley duty Of
- ner thousand on rough lumber are
todav deeply concerned for fear they
may not be able to get as much az
Il 30 when the bill finally comes Out
e rho conference committee. Long
ooo they abandoned hope of retaining
tho Dingley rate; now they realize
that there is danger, and considerable
Joanoer of being forced to accept the
5n+v Of 81 per thousand voted by the
house.
When the Payne DILL passed the
lorse Pacific coast and Southern mem.
hers were reasonably pleased with the
dutv of 81 Oh rough lumber, for they
believed the senate would unquestion.
ably raise the duty to at least $3.50,
and perhaps 50, and they counted on
getting more than 81 in the conference
committee when the bill was up for
final adjustment. They were content
with having defeated the free lumber
amendment But now that the adj
iournment of the special session seems
TO be drawing near and the time for
that much talked of conference ap-
nroaches. these once satisfied members
are beginning to express fears and
doubts.
May Loose Trading Votes
Harking back, they find that the free
lumber amendment was voted down in
the house by the small majority of "A.
Looking over the list of those who vot-
ed againt free lumber, they find mem
beTs who have no direct interest in the
lumber industry and who voted for a
duty OF lumber merely for trading
purposes. Some who so voted made
unsuccessful trades, and are not now
in very friendly frame Of mind to-
ward the advocates of a lumber duty
they are seeking to make new and
stronger combinations. A change of
eight votes in the house would give
the free lumber men control, and such
control at this late hour would be used
to good advantage.
Assuming that enough members
change their position ON the lumber
schedule to give the free lumber men
a majority, what would happen? If
the conference committee brought in
areport raising the duty on rough lum-
Der above the 81 voted by the house,
this majority would be able and un-
questioanbly would send back the bill
for further conference. If the confer
ence committee should agree to 81. so,
and this majority prevailed in the
house, the 81. 80 rate could never stand.
On the other hand, if the senate con-
ferees should accept the rate Of 81
agreed to by the house by it's majority
OF IA, the house would be bound to &C.
cept that agreement, for, having gone
on record for a duty of 81, members,
even though they desired, could not
consistently demand still lower duty,
and the senate would never consent
to it.
Struggle to Get Even Dollar
The thing that bothers the lumber
men IN congress-the senator's and rep
resentatlves from lumber producing
sates-is the new lineup in the house
lhey DO not want their majority of IA
u De wiped out, but they are very
much alarmed for fear eight votes
may change, which would mean a 81
Iuty. 10 avoid any such change, mem
Oers who once felt reasonably secure
are now bestirring themselves in an
Vnort to hold together enough votes
nut only to hold the duty of 81 voted
" Tile house, but to get an agreement
upon at least a part of the increase
"llch the senate will make. What the
ou1come will be is entirely a matter OF
:OnJecture at this time, much depend.
,ng upon the efforts now being made to
i,oid together the members who turned
ao"n the free lumber amendment pro-
posed by Representative Tawney.