The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-02-04
WANT TARIFF ON
LUM Der REDUCED
HIGH PRICE OF TIMBER CAUSES
FARMERS TO DEMAND A
REVISION
SUPPLY IS GETTING SCARCE.
Advance in Price of Wood Is Much
Greater Than That IN Farm
Products.
CONGRESSMAN ARE CAUTIOUS,

AuNNEApOLIS. Mimi, Feb. L.
Special. IA keen interest is taken by
Minnesota people in the discussion OF
the lumber tariff which is now attracting
so much attention throughout the coun-
try. Not long ago Minnesota was one
Of the leading lumber producing states
Of the country, but it has now fallen
10 the ninth place on the list, though 1t
is still first in the production of white
pine. Only nine years ago Minneapolis
was the greltest lumber manufacturing
city III the world, but today there are n
dozen places that surpass it in that re
spcci, and it's total annual cut has fallen
from GOO,OOO,OOO feet to less than BOO
100000.
There are many Sma ar cities in
Minnesota which were once fragrant of
pine and vibrant with the roar of saws
that do not ROW turn wheel to make
board Minnesota Is merely repeating
the history of Michigan and Wisconsin,
in each of which. with the passing of the
white pine forests, the glory OF lumber
manufacturing has departed, even though
hundreds of mills continue to nibble
away at remnants. second-growth ana
species Of timber not commonly used
ten or fifteen years ago.
Great Increase in Price.
No other commodity in common use
has increased as much in price III re
cent year, as lumber and building ma
tcrials generally. Taking an average OF
an kinds Of lumber. some of which IS
not much IA demand, and not showing
much of a price increase, the conserve
tive bureau of labor OF the United States
shows that while farm products, which
sold at an average price OF 100 IN tue
ten years from 1890 to 1899, had adj,
yauced to 1871 in 1907, lumber and
building materials had advanced from
100 in the former period OF lfO.9
Want Duty Removed
In view of the facts it is not surprising
that the effort TO retain the duty on luH-
her meets with little encouragement IN
this part Of the country, even from lunl-
hcrmru. One of the greatest lumber
manufacturers in the United States re
marked the other day that while he
vpuII prcfcr to have the tarln stay
whore if is, he didn't nave the nerve
publicIy to commit himself to opposition
to the repeal of the lumber tariff. An
other big mmhCrman who occupies much
the same position and Is DONG niue 70
encourage the agitation being conducted
bN the lumber IlUlt IOI inc I'l'IJlpu %
the tariff on lumber, Is illustrating by has
own activities the effect Of the tariff on
the conservation or, rather, exhaustion
Of American forests. This lumhcrman,
Thomas ShcyIiu, and his associates have
mills ON the Rainy river on the Mime.
sofia and Ontario sides, with about the
same capacity, GU.OUOOOO feet Of lum-
her per year, and with about the same
amount Of timber tributary 10 each.
Originally it was intended to operate
both mills to their full capacity. but ow-
ing tu the limitations of the Canadian
market the Minnesota mill will this year
run to its full capacity while the ON
tariO mill viii produce only about one
tenth Of what il could.
Reports from many points throughout
the great middle west farming regions
where the high price of lumber pncheS
and where there is popular belief in the
existence OF great lumber trust lndl-
cate that it Will hc exceedingly unplcaS
au' for any congressman to return to his
constituents after the tariff law is re-
yi~od, unless lumber is placed ON the free
list. whether rough err finished. The con
gro~-mru understand SO well that il /,
reported here that some forty western
congressman hay" in effect notified the
Republican majority of the ways ant
monu- committee HAT they will not sup
port any general tariff bin which does
not put lumber ON tine free list.