Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-04-02
LUMBER men HEARD.
Higher Duty on Shingles
Asked in Congress.
ORIENTAL BuGABoo AGAIN
Washington Representative Tells Of
Competition with British Columbia
-Fordney Of Michigan Also Pre-.
sents Protection Argument.

Washington, Mar. 27.-When the
tariff bill was laid before the house
yesterday Mr.. Humphrey of Washing.
ton took issue with some statements
made by Mr.. Payne in his opening
speech regarding the number of Ori-
entails engaged in the lumber mills of
British Columbia. Mr.. Payne, he said,
left the impression that there were
fewer Orientals working in such mills
there than in the state Of Washing
ton That statement was erroneous,
he said
He declared that over so per cent. of
the men engaged in the lumber and
single mills of British Columbia were
Orientals, who were paid lower wages
than American mill laborers, and that
therefore the cost of production was
less. Out of the 1880 men employed
in the shingle mills Of Washington, Mr.
Humphrey said, there were but Al
10000 men employed in the lumber
and shingle industry Of that state,
there were but $500 Orientals.
Face Oriental Problem.
Mr.. Humphrey in pleading for an in
creased duty on shingles, warned the
representatives that they could not
escape their responsibility in SO far as
the problem of Oriental labor was con-
cerned. Now" he said, I'VE have an
opportunity to see whether or not we
are going back on what we have said
about protecting the labor of this
country from the ruinous competition
of the labor of foreign countries"
On the authority of Mr. Fordney of
Michigan the Washington member as
serted that the witnesses before the
committee on ways and means who
wanted lumber put on the free list
were men interested in Canadian tim
Der, while those who asked for the re
tention of the Dingley duty were mer
interested in timber in the United
States. I'VE ought not to hesitate
long when that question is presented,
he said. "as to whom we shall legis
late for"
Fordney on Lumber Schedule.
Mr.. Fordney of Michigan, mem
Der of the committee on ways ant
i means, and an avowed protectionist
discussed at length the lumber sched
ule. Some people, he said had gone
into Mysteries over the question of free
lumber. He challenged any one pres
ent to pick out single prominent in
dustry in the United States that had
as low rate ad valorem protection as
that given lumber.
In response to various questions re
.garding the Canadian competition ii
lumber, Mr.. Fordney declared that
high grade and low grade Canadian
lumber were met with their respective
grades in the United States. dut.
on high grade, he said, was not needed
as much as on the low grade, and thi:
was desired in order to compete will
the foreign production. He denied tina
lumber from the southern states wa!
going into Canada in any considerabl
quantity, except long leaf yellow pine
Southerners Smell Trust.
Mr.. Fordney admitted, in respons
to question by Mr. Bartlett Of Georgi;
that whether the duty on lumber wa
increased, lowered or removed, souther
lumber could not be carried into the te
, ritory north of the Ohio river in con
petition with Canadian lumber becaus
, of prohibitive freight rates.
Mr.. Slayden and Mr.. Hardy of Texa
declared that they had good reason
believe that lumber trust or combini
ton exists to fix the price of lumbe
Il have been in the lumber bushes
since was boy" said Mr.. Fordney
"and have never known of a lumbe
trust"
Nearly Fight on Floor.
!. Through misunderstanding Repre-
> sentative Byrd of Mississippi and Re
resentative Fordney almost came
blows on the floor of the house viii
J. the latter was making his speech.
Mr. Byrd asked Mr. Fordney if
! was not true that combination e
3 lists among the retail dealers of Missi
;. sippi, to which Mr.. Fordney's fri
e which is operating in that state. was
8 party Mr.. Byrd added that he kne
e whereof he spoke when he charge
;. the existence of such combination.
/, THE gentleman doesn't know
t damned thing about it." shouted M
y Fordney, irritably
Immediately Mr. Byrd made his WE
e toward Mr.. Fordney, but several Del
]. ocratic members stopped him. M
4 Fordney apologized to the house.