The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-04-08
LUMBER BARoNs FIGHTING HARD

When the committee on ways and
means was in session listening TO argu-
mebts on the question of tariff bill to be
drafted the lumbermen we're very much
IN evidence and made elaborate argu-
ments before the committee in favor of
the absolute maintenance of the duty
on Lumber. The lumbermen also had an
advantage in the committee from the
fact that one of the members of that
body was lumberman himself and dur
ing the entire hearing he did all in his
power to bring out all of the points that
would make against lowering of the
duties.
The men who made statements favor
ing it had in him an unfriendly examiner,
yet the committee decided to recommend
"a 30 per cent reduction. The arguments
of the lumbermen have been passed on
by men who are anxious to give all the
protection to any industry that it needs,
and have been overruled by them.
That ought to settle the question, but
the lumberman are moving heaven and
earth to get congress to reverse the
Judgment of the committee. They re-
peat the argument that they need all
the protection they have 80 that they
may compete with the lumber turned
out by cheap Oriental labor in British
Columbia and cheap peon labor in Mex
leo. They are competing successfully
with the alleged cheap Canadian labor
in neutral markets. Last year the United
States exported logs, lumber and tim
Der valued at $45,0OO,OO0. 1t imported
only about 100000 worth. Lumber
was shipped to Mexico and sold in COM
petition with the cheap labor product
of that country.
1t is significant fact that these lum-
bermeu who assert that the cost of pro-
duction is so much higher here than in
Canada ship considerable lumber to the
dominion. The Canadian lumbermen
have been complaining of this invasion"
and asking the Ottawa government for
protection through duty on American
Lumber. The unanimity of this demand
for protection is evidence that neither
party needs it, but that both want it so
that they may put the knife into the
consumer.
The consumers who are asking for re-
lief include the farmers of the Missouri
4 Valley. Their sentiments are express
ed in the resolution of the North Dakota
legislature asking the senators and rep
resentatives from that state to put lun-
Der on the free list. So great has been
the advance in the price of lumber that
the farmers can no longer use it for fenc-
ing material, and they find that it costs
them about double what it used to to
build frame house.
me lumDernen say that if dollar
shall be taken off the lumber duty the
ultimate consumer will not get any of
e It-that the Canadian producer and
Is A 40 n afat 1onx Il do
them. Every request made to the ways
duty was met with the contention that
the .ultimate consumer" would not be
benefited. 1t is by this time an old,
threadbare contention. The farmer
would get cheaper lumber if a dollar
was taken off the lumber duty. There
is still sufficient competition in the
business to secure for him a liberal
share in the reduction.
The principal reason for the high
price of lumber, according to one of the
men in the business who appeared be-
before the ways and means committee,
lis to make more money" With lower
duty the lumbermen might now make
much money as in the past, but they
would be able to pay just as good
wages and pay the farmers just as much
for supplies as now.
The sum and substance of the matter
B is that the corporations which own
large percentage of the timber lands of
the United States have secured control
of vast areas of Canadian timber land.
I It is their policy to keep the duty on
lumber intact so that during the next
twelve years they may sell their Ameri-
car, DrOdnct at exnrhitant rates Then
they would turn around and ask con-
gress to take of the duty and let their
Canadian lumber come in free.
Congress should stand by the con-
sumer in this instance. The entire duty
could be taken off and no one would be
harmed and the farmer and laboring
man would be benefited. If it is not
possible to have the entire tariff taken
of as the democratic party contends, a
90 per cent reduction will help some.
st. Joe Observer.