Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-04-21
LUMBER TO PAY
Hopes to Increase the Tax
on Lumber to $500 per
Thousand

q
Leader man his views on the effect
OF the tariff on West virginias lead
Ing industries.
Senator. what is the prospects Of
getting duty on coal. oil and lun-
ber?"
The senator replied. next TO az
riculture, these are our most impcr,
tant industries. After a hard fght
we succeeded in getting in the house
bill duty OF $1.00 per thousand
feet on lumber, and / hope to retain
this, IL not increase IT. to $2.OO, or
at least $1.50 in the senate.
AS the bill passed by the house
coal and oil are on the free list"
Continuing the senator stated, at
would be great blow to our state
to have lumber on the free list.
fear a great many Lumber mills
would have to close down. as they
did under the Wilson bill when we
had free lumber.
rents and royalties amounting 10
about $2,50O,0O0 per annum, and
the sale OF oil amounts to $780,
600 a month; from s1S,00O,00O to
$40, 100000 per anauIn. This Is a
leading industry, employing large
capital and a great many peop'e
Free oil would be hurtful to the
oil interests OF the state, and espc-
cially the independent producer. We
have $4,000 oil wells with a yearly
production of about 25,000,00O bar
rels. selling at s1.7S per barrel;
therefore am going to work hard
to secure a duty thereon.
Our coal interest,"" the senator
proceeded, lis our most important
manufacturing industry. We are
having hard fight, probably harder
than when the Wilson bill was being
considered. which put duty OF Acc
a ton on coal. The situation has
changed somewhat. Western Penn
sylvania, Ohio and Illinois demanc
reciprocal trade In coal with Canada,
just as the Payne bill provides ss
passed by the house OF representa-
tives. That is to say, IL Canada
maintains the present duty of 67c,
we will; IL Canada lowers the duty
Of 81 cents, we will; and IL she has
free trade in coal, we will consent
to 1t. / believe this is all wrong
In the first place, don't think Tor
eign government should make our
tariff rates on any product, and /
think 1t is mischievious and hurtfu.
to our coal interest to allow a
foreign government, at any tim 2,
to fix our tariff on any product.
New England imported 100000
or 100000 tons OF coal from Nova
Scotia last year, 100000 tons of this
came in as slack, which paid only 10
cents duty, when most OF 1t should
have paid 81 cents. The rest paid
81 cents. don't think our people
realize the danger OF free coal or
reciprocal trade in coal with Cana
da, which is the same thing.
Nova Scotia coal is better than
we have been led to believe. IL any
one will look at the assays, he Will
find this to be true. In majority
of the mines the sulphur is below
per cent, the ash is from to s per
cent, and the fixed carbon Is estI
mated from SIS to 67 per cent Nova
Scotia coal is good heat producin 9
coal, and II we import now into tn 2
United States on the Atlantic coast
zoo, 900 or 100000 tons, and on the
Pacific side a like amount, with the
present duty of 81 cents, II is plainly
to be seen with the duty off, VIC
would import for or FIVE million tons
or more.
This would displace our West Vir-
ginia Goals in New England markets
especially the coal in the south part
OF the state on the 6. e. o. and n.
and w. railroads. Besides one coal
company alone, the Dominion Coal
Company has 75O,0O0,OOO tons o!
] coal, according to its own estimate
and the Nova Scotia coal deposits ap-
pear to be i1exhaustible for the next
100 years.
What would be the effect OF free
coal. SENATOR"
Just as soon as we have free coal,
the coal operators of Canada and
Nova Scotia will at once open up
more mines, and IL is my firm he
lief that within 10 years they will
occupy most Of New England aid
much OF the New York markets.
The Nova Scotia coal operators
already mine $500, 900 tons OF coal,
and ali but about 100000 or 500
600 tons are consumed in Canada,
cast Of Montreal. IL the coal is
good enough for Canada, or their
manufacturers, railroads and steam
ships, why wouldn't Il be good
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