The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-05-24
THE M'CUMBER
SPEECH MAY Be
A BOOMERANG
Some Talk of Retaliation on
the Wheat and Barley
Schedules
NORTH DAKOTA SENATOR
FAVORED FREE LUMBER
Advocated Importation of Product So
As To Save and Restore Our Own
F0rests-Farmers and Their Money
Compared With Business Men,

Washington, May 24.-The senate
resumed consideration of the tariff
bill today, the wood schedule being
under special consideration. Senator
McCumber's speech of Saturday in fa-
vor of free lumber has created some
thing Of a stir. There is some talk
of an attempt to retaliate by means
of reduction OF the duty on wheat
and a larger reduction OF the duty on
barley, in both of which the North Da-
kota member is interested.
The lumber schedule was under dis
cusston the greater part of Saturday,
and the controversy between the free
lumber advocates and their high tariff
opponents was at times sharp.
Senator McCumber introduced the
subject by presenting an amendment
providing for free lumber. He was on
the floor several times in support of
this provision. He contended that the
American forests were being rapidly
depleted and urged that every encour-
agement should be given to bringing
in outside lumber for the protection
of our own supply. On the other
hand, Senators Elkins, Scott and Hey
burn. all of them representing lumber
producing constituencies, contended
strenuously for higher duty than is
allowed by the house bill. They con-
troverted the theory that the Ameri-
can lumber supply is rapidly dimin-
ishing. ..
Much of Mr.. McCumber's remarks
was directed towards statements
made by Senator Elkins. who was not
in the chamber and his colleague,
Senator Scott. essayed to reply to him.
Having worked on a farm himself, he
said. it was not necessary for the
senator from North Dakota to read
him lecture. He then told of an
interview he had had with a hotel
keeper in southern California. who,
he said, conducted the most fashion
able hotel in that state.
The DOwntrOdden Farmers.
"Now what class of people are suf-
fering most in recent times?" he ask
ed. This hotel keeper tells me the
manufacturer and the business man
of the east has been unable to patron
ize his house, but that hotel is over
run with the farmers with their
wives and children. and he says these
farmers all have plenty of money and
rooms and tables are not too good
for them. So that is what our down.
trodden farmer is doing today"
Mr.. McCumber. in replying to
Messrs. Elkins and Hepburn. insisted
that nothing had been presented to
show the incorrectness of his claim
that free lumber would prevent the
price of that article from mounting
too high and too rapidly, but would
not reduce its price Of today. So far
as protection Of farm products was
concerned he said that every article
produced on the farm required more
expended energy than any other class
of product.
Illustrating profits Of the farmer
compared with profits of other occupa-
tons, Mr.. McCumber cited the price
Of bushel of tomatoes at twenty
five cents.
There are" he said. 1900 tomatoes
in bushel and when you 60 down
to the senate restaurant you will pay
twenty-five cents for a single toma-
to. or at the rate of $75 bushel. and
when the colored waiter has cut up
that one tomato for his farmer pat
ron. the farmer would have to go
down in his pocket for another quar-
ter of a dollar. or the price Of
bushel of tomatoes, to reward him."