The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-23
FREE LUMBER FIGHT.
SENATOR NELSON TO WAGE BAT
TIE FOR AMENDED SCHEDULE.
Minnesota Man Will Show That Pro-
lection to This Industry Has Not
Increased the Wages of the Work.
man; Product Is One Hundred Per
Cent Higher With Only Twenty
Advance in the Paw.

Washington, April l9.-Declaring that
protected lumber does not protect la.
bor, and that the advance i'm the price
of lumber is not at all proportionate
10 the advance in wages, Senator Mel
son win open the battle for the lum.
Der in the United States senate when
the general debate opens.
The Minnesota senator has been dig
ging for facts on the lumber PROPOSE
ton. and has been finding them. He
is prepared to show that while the
price of lumber has advanced 100 per
cent within the past few years wages
of men engaged in the lumber bust
ness have advanced hut 20 per cent.
This, he thinks, is proof conclusive that
protection on lumber and better wages
for workmen in the lumber industry
have no relation.
What 1t Costs in Canada.
He is further prepared to show that
the unit of cost in lumber manufacture
ing in Canada is greater than it is in
the United States, despite the cry of
cheap labor there There are some
instances in which workmen are paid
less, but in the production of lumber
the finished product The cost is great
er in Canada than in the United
States. according 10 the senator's fig
ures.
The fight that the senator will make
for free lumber places him in the in
surgent class, so far as the tariff
measure is concerned, as it is known
that Senator McCumber is the only
open advocate OF free lumber in the
senate finance committee, and the sem
ate bill does not place lumber on the
free list.
Senator McCumber will join Senas
tor Nelson in the free lumber fight. In
fact the North Dakota senator is
something of a free trader. He stands
for free lumber, free coal, free iron
and free hides, and for everything else
free that once manufactured is de-
stroyed by first utilization. As a
member of the finance committee, he
has led fight along these lines, but
the committee was against him. The
committee is against free lumber, and
so is the senate as body, but il
the FIGHT for free lumber be unavailing
it will be none the less vigorous, with
such a man as Senator Nelson back
ing it.
James j. Hill of St Paul has been
in conference with Senator Nelson sew
eral times, during his last visit and
the two have developed some mighty
telling arguments for the removal OF
the duty on lumber. 1t is understood
that their views on the subject COIN
eide exactly.
Amend Fur Schedule.
The senate committee has agreed to
amend the fur schedule of the tariff
bill to suit the fur manufacturers of
Minnesota. Joseph McKibbin, fur
manufacturer of st. Paul, who has
been here some time. made con-
vincing argument and won his point.
The house bill placed n duty of 30
per cent upon all furs in plates and
temporarily sewed. This was an in
crease of Is per cent over the duty
in the Dingley. BILL and affected prin-
cipallv furs which are used in the
manufacture of fur overcoats. The
senate committee has agreed to offer
an amendment placing the duty at
20 per cent, where it was before,
and this is satisfactory to the fur
men.