The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1909-03-03
TARIFF ON LUMBER
EFFECT ON TRADE
Some Strong Illustrative
Argument.
TIMBER IS BECOMING SCARCE
In United StateS-FOOliSh To
Sell Others What We
Will Need Later.
TIMBER IS BECOMING SCARCE


on the tariff. AS means of raising
national revenue, perhaps a tax upon
imports is one of the best. But the
imposing of such a tax Ito protect
American Industries" we do not see
a very great necessity for. The Unit
ed States is a world power, and, If
put in that way, would be slow to con-
fess its inability to compete with the
world in any particular Besides the
expressionAmerican Industries as used
in connection with the tariff means
little more than large corporate insti-
buttons that, through special privi-
leges and commercial advantages con-
ferTed upon them by the general gov
eminent, have grown into gigantic
and purposes, monopolies in control of
important articles of public necessity.
These institutions can certainly need
no further special protection. By
means of the tariff protection which
they have enjoyed for years, many
of these institutions have been able
TO compel their own people to pay high
er prices for their products than they
charged the people of foreign nations
to which they shipped the same articles
and sold them in competition with like
goods made in those countries,
But as a special advocate of the
agricultural interests Of this country,
we favor protection for farm products
so long as tariff protection is accord
ed manufacturing or other industrial
products. We do not ask this because
we think American farmers are una
BILE to stand alone, but we demand it
as a matter of equity and justice. If
farmers must pay higher prices for
other classes of labor, it is clearly
proper and right that the prices of
their products should have similar pro
lection Even then the fact that farm
products are articles of export rather
than of import makes it impossible for
agriculture to enjoy the benefits from
tariff protection that are enjoyed by
other industries.
With our position thus clearly defin-
ed we wish to speak of the tariff on
lumber. Timber is becoming scarce
in the United States and the Govern
ment is engaged in herculean efforts
to protect our remaining forests and
to induce the planting of trees where
the natural forests have been destroy
ed. 1t is safe to say that most of
our remaining forests are in the hands
of milling syndicates that not only
control the output but make the prices
These prices have been PIT so high
as to greatly impede the building of
the cheaper grade of houses, such
as constitute the homes of the COM
mon people. These lumber syndicates
are protected by a tariff which pro-
hibits without the payment of the duty
the shipment and sale in this coun |
try of lumber from other countries, |
even from Canada. That is what en- |
ables the lumbermen to make the
prices so high. But while Canadian |
lumber may not be brought into this |
country and sold in competition with |
lumber made in the United States,
there is nothing to prevent the free
shipment of American lumber into
Canada. And, strange to say, cur
lumbermen, pleading all the time a
scarcity of timber as an excuse for
high lumber prices, have heen ship
ping lumber into Canada and selling
it cheaper than the Canadian mills can
sell their own lumber made from the
great Canadian forests Only last
month the National Forest Conserva-
ton League wrote Up-to-Date Farm
ing as follows:
although most manufacturers of
lumber in the United States object to
the repeal of tie tariff on lumber. ,
alleging inability to compete with
Canadian lumber, the Canadian mark +
ct has this year been flooded with g
American lumber to such an extent !
hat the Canadian manufacturers have
been undersoId at home and have had
heir market ruined" \
AS matter Of course that state of {
affairs induced Canadian amnufactur-
rs of lumber OF ask the Canadian Il
Government to impose a tariff on lum- @
yer coming into Canada from the I'm v
ted States. This the Canadian Gov c
rnment refused to do, wisely argu- Z
ng that, while they could get their @
umber supply from the United States "
heaper than they could make it at L
ome, they could save their own for a
SITS rrt'l' the forests Ct TIE Icitel 2.
tates weie eAhausted, "Aeh 49, "