The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1909-04-29
AS 1t is Now to Pass the
United States Con-
gress.

SlitSAf 0IakSS >S0AAT K. ~
gress.
WASHINGTON. ID. O.. April 2s--
Foreign governments are watching
with marked degree OF interest the
progress Of the work upon the new
tariff measure. They are vitality In
Iterested in the rates OF duty fixed
Eppon the the articles which they
Export TO this country for the reason
that a material reduction In certain,
Hines may mean the opening OF a
lgood market here, or an advance
lmay result in depriving them of
ttrade which they heretofore enjoyed.
There are foreign Representatives in
\ Washington today. and they have
ibeen here ever since the tariff dis
cussion began, who are following
/ the developments as closely as any
American manufactures or producer,
Such countries as Germany and
Il France with their sliding scale OF
tariffs, by which they are enabled 10
lgive preferential duties. are especial.
Ffly Interested in the maximum and
minimum provisions OF the Payne
Aldrich bill, and the manner In
i which 1t Will effect them. Should
lit be unsatisfactory. they are in a
position to retaliate, and 1t is be-
canse Of this that the tariff makers
are Obliged to de very guarded in
drafting this section OF the measure.
England, being free trade country,
jdoes not enjoy an advantage in this
way but with her great manufac-
turing industries and extensive coll
onies she is prepared to profit from
Hany slip which the American tariff
builders may make.
\ Canada. as our nearest neighbor
and anxious to increase her trade
with the United States: is extremely
interested in our. tariff bill. although
lbeing an agriculture country there
are only few articles upon which
she can derive benefit from any of|
1.-THE proposed changes. The slight
reduction in barley which the
House made has been restored in
1 the Senate, and on other products oil
the farm the rates are such that mol
advantage can come to the Canadian
farmer.
Canada Wants Reduction.
Coal and lumber, however are two
articles, concerning the duty upon
which, Canada is especially interest
ed. The United States is canada'sl
largest market for lumber, particu-I
larry second grade lumber. The Ca
madam lumbermen. and the Amer
leans who are engaged in the Cana
dian lumber trade and have leased !
large tracts of Canadian timber
lands, have been bending every eff
fort to obtain a reduction In the dutyI
on lumber. and have refoiced greatly
in the proposed cut from 81 thous-
and. 1t now appears that even til
this reduction should be enacted
into a law. these Canadian timber
men will not not be benefited. The
Dominion government purposes step
ping in and taking the generous do
nation which the American congress
offers to the Canadian lumbermen.
Under the Canadian system timber
lands are leased. The lessor pays a !
fixed ground rent to the government
yearly and then royalty of Atty
cents thousand feet when he cuts
the timber. The rent is fixed byl
contract. but the crown royalty isl
subject to change by parliament orI
by the provincial legislature il the
lands are held by the province In
stead of the Dominion government.
The farmers, who predominant in
the Canadian parliament, are UNI
willing that the wealthy lumber-
men should get all the benefit which
comes from change In the Amer
lean tariff. Their farm products
are to be afforded no advantage, and
they are not disposed to have the
timbermen made the sole lbenefci-
aries. Accordingly. they are
Planning to Absorb
the timberman's gain through a re-
lduction in our tariff, by putting upI
the royalty which the timbermanl
must pay to the government for the
privilege of cutting timber. Thus, IL
the reduction is one dollar thous-
and. the government will increase
crown royalties to $1.5o thousand. I
and the revenue of the Canadian
government will be increased i'm
mensely bat no advantage will
come either to the American con-
sumer of lumber, or to the Canadian
nv IA. T..