The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-07-29
AN AGREEMENT REACHED.

From the capital at Washington it is
reported that an agreement on the tar
if has been reached by the Senate and
the House conferees. According TO
the agreement, hides and oil will be
placed on the free list. Coal is to be
made dutiable at 4sc ton; the duty
on paper is to be $3.50 ton, while the
iron ore tariff is I5c and lumber IN the
rough is to be taxed at $I.5o per 1000
feet; one side finished $500: two sides
finished $3.50; three sides finished,
which may include tonguing and groov-
ing $2.62 Ia; four sides finished $500.
In brief, when man will want lur1-
Der to repair or build his house he will
be required to pay from $I.5o to $500
per thousand feet for commodity
which should be free of exactions ex-
cept the actual cost thereof with reas-
enable profit for the manufacturer or
mill man. Lumber should be free, and
would be if it were not for the dictates
of the lumber trust.
II is senseless to argue that tariff
on lumber is necessary and that it IS
intended to exclude lumber from Can
ada and foreign countries and to FRO
tect the American product.
AS lumber is necessity and in de-
mand for the building of houses and for
the many uses which are promotive OF
the welfare of the people, it should be
on the free list.
If Canada can compete with the luirl-
Der produced in the United States. in
the interests Of the masses such COM
petition should be encouraged.
This principle should apply to every
commodity Of the people. Only lux
uries should be made dutiable.
But this protection Of the lumber of
the United States is simply pretense
and glazing subterfuge, For instance,
the Issrnber Of Canada could not com
pete with the lumber from the South
ern mills fer the reason that the pro-
ducts Of such mills are distinct in quail
ity. The yellow pine Of the South is as
different as the white pine Of Canada
and Of the Northwest.
Should this tariff on lumber, as
fixed in the schedule Of the conference,
prevail, it can be classed in no other
tenn than highway robbery. II will be
on the order of compelling the pay
naenk of from $3.50 to $500 per 1000
feet for lumber according to quality
from the rough to the finished.
Who viii be the beneficiary of this
robbery The lumber combines.
Equally outrageous is the duty on
paper, and there is no excuse for it ex-
cept that paper is controlled by trust
Paper should be free of duty, but it is
not, and yet the conferrees are boast
ful Of their concessions fixed at $3.50
per ton, and yet these iniQuities of the
tariff are made possible by the Demo
Gratis who voted in support of the nigh
tariff.
And. seriously. what is called ths
people have no carse for complaint
AS rule. the people are responsible
for the government which controls
them. Had the majority of the people
nsso voted at the presidential election
had elected Bryan and a Democratic
f@r.,,ress ;nssead of Taft and major.
isy Of the Republicans in Congress
there would have followed revision
al the tariff consistent with Demo
cratic principles and teachings which
would have operated to the welfare o.
the masses. There can be little reliel
from Congress as long as the Republi-
cans are il the ascendency and doriil
nate the government.