Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-02
SOLO TO CANADIANS
American Lumber Sent Across
the Border.
DOMINION MARKET RUINED
Intellectual Effort to Establish Re-
taliatory Tariff.
SENATOR EDWARDS OPPOSES
Regards the Policy of This Country
in Exhausting Its Forests
as Foolish.


as Foolish.
Special Correspondence OF The Star.
MINNEAPOLIS. December 80. 1903.
Some interesting correspondence in re-
gard to the international aspect of the
question of repeating the duty on lumber
and other forest products has been given
out by the National Forest Conservation
League. which is taking the position that
the first step I'm forest conservation is to
repeal the tariffs which prevent Ameri-
can consumers from freely drawing on
the forest products of other countries.
This correspondence is between Senator
William c. Edwards, a member of the
Canadian parliament of Rockland. On
tario and a large manufacturer Of lum-
Der and pulp in Canada, and the secre-
tary of the league. Senator Edwards
was the official representative Of the Do
minion at the recent conservation COM
mission conference in Washington. D. c.
From this correspondence 1t appears
that although most manufacturers of
lumber in the United States object to the
repeal of the tariff on lumber. alleging
inability to compete with Canadian lum-
Der, the Canadian market has this year
been flooded with American lumber, there
being no Canadian duty on rough lumber,
to such an extent that the Canada n
manufacturers have been undersold at
home and have had their market ruined.
In consequence the lumbermen of Canada
made an effort to have a retaliatory
tariff placed on American lumber but
this agitation failed. largely IT is said.
on account of the remarkable telegram
sent by Senator Edwards to Sir Wilfrid
Laurier. 1t is stated that the Canadian
of American lumber have
been chiefly low grades. competition in
which the lumbermen appearing before
the ways and means committee said they
most feared.
Edwards Opposes Lumber Tariff.
Under date of December IL Senator
Edwards writes to the secretary Of the
league:
Recalling the promise I made to you
at Washington a few days ago, l here
with incose copy of the telegram / sent
Sir Wilfrid Laurier in June last. after
a large deputation of lumbermen had
called upon him and our minister OF
finance begging for the imposition of a
duty on southern pine coming from the
United States, which was then and for
the most of the time since deluging
so cheaply that it has been impossible
for US to compete. Hard. OF course, for
the moment on lumber producers; but
great benefit to the buyers and users
of lumber.
THE ground l take is that we will
win i'm the end. If you Americans are
foolish enough to exhaust your forests.
not only to supply YOUR own wants. but
ours also, our timber will grow and be-
come more valuable in the meantime,
which will result in great ultimate profit
to us.
Il am taking the liberty of sending
YOU also a paper which has letter in
it [ hurredly wrote something over a
year ago on the pulp question.
Appeals to Canadian Premier.
The following is copy of the telegram
Senator Edwards sent to Sir Wilfrid Lau-
rier.
Most sincerely and earnestly hope you
will pay no regard to unjustified demand
made upon YOU for a duty on southern
pine coming from the United States. The
demand arises in consequence Of tenn
porary stagnation in our business which
will soon pass away. The imposition of
the duty would be most trif1ing. in so far
as mitigation of the present dullness in
Canadian trade is concerned. and would
be most unpopular excepting with few
avaricious lumber manufacturers. l SIN
cerely beg YOU to allow one Canadian in
dustry to exist without placing it in the
despicable position Of robb.ng the con-
sumers of its product for its benefit"
Proposed Canadian Export Duty.
In answer to request for permission to
make public use of the correspondence
Senator Edwards wired December DO:
You are at liberty to use my letter.
also the copy oNthe telegram to Sir Will
frid Laurier and letter in Witness on
pulp question in any way you desire.
Take no stock in childish statement that
Canadian government will impose export
duty. on forest products if American gov
eminent removes import duties. Such too
absurd for consideration. Is ridiculous"
In the letter referred to as being pub
lished in the Witness (MontreaD Senator
Edwards takes the position that there is
no good reason why Canada should place
an export duty on pulp wood shipped to
American pulp and paper mills.
Old-Age Pensions in Great Britain.
LONDON, January . Postmasters
throughout the United Kingdom have be-
gun the payment of Old-age pensions
under the act of the last session of parlia-
ment to persons over seventy years of
age Seven hundred thousand applica-
lions for pensions have been received of
which 200 were disallowed. chiefly because
the applicants have been in receipt of
poor relief. 1t is estimated that the old
age pensions will cost the country $685.