Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-01
Dominion Lumberman Declare
Market Is Flooded With
American Product
CANADA uNDERsoLD AT HOME
Evidence Developed to Strengthen Ar
sument for Free Lumber From Do
minion Forests-canada Demands
RetaIiatory Tariff if Duty is Not Re-
moved by United States.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Minneapolis, Jan. 1-Some interest
| ing correspondence in regard to the in
| ternational aspect of the question OF
repeating the duty on lumber and 9TH
er forest products has been given out
by the National Forest Conservation
league, which is taking the position
that the first step in forest conserva-
ton is to repeal the tariffs which pre-
vent American consumers from freely
drawing on the forest products Of other
countries This correspondence is be-
tween Senator William C. Edwards, q
member Of the Canadian parliament, of
Rockland, Ontario. and a large manu-
and the secretary of the league. Sem
ator Edwards was the official repre-
sentative of the dominion at the recent
conservation commission conference in
Washington, D. c.
From this correspondence it appears
that altho most manufacturers of lum-
Der in the United States object to the
repeal of the tariff on lumber, alleg-
Ing inability to compete with Canadian
lumber, the Canadian market has this
year been flooded with American lum-
Der, there being no Canadian duty on
rough lumber, to such an extent that
the Canadian manufacturers have been
undersold at home and have had their
market ruined. In conSeQuepcJ the
lumbermen of Canada made an effort
to have a retaliatory tariff placed on
American lumber, but this agitation
failed, largely it is said, on account OF
the remarkable telegram sent by Sem
ator Edwards to Sir Wilfrid Laurier
1t is stated that the Canadian importa-
tions Of American lumber have been
chiefly low grades, competition IN
which, the lumbermen appearing before
the ways and means committee said
they most feared.
Under date of Dec. II. Senator Ed
wards, writes to the secretary of the
league:
at Washington a few days ago, here
with enclose copy of the telegram l
sent Sir Wilfrid Laurier in June last
after large deputation of lumbermen
had called upon him and our minister
of finance, begging for the imposition
Of duty on SOUTHERN pine coming
from the United States, which was
then and for the most of the time
since, deluging our Canadian markets,
produced and sold SO cheaply that 1T
has been impossible for us to compete.
Hard of course for the moment on
lumber producers; but great benefit
to the buyers and users Of lumber.
"The ground I take is that we will
win in the end. If you Americans are
foolish enough to exhaust your forests,
not only to supply your own wants, but
ours also, our timber will grow and
become more valuable in the meantime,
which will result in great ultimate
profit to us.
81 am taking the liberty Of sending
you also a paper which has letter
in it hurriedly wrote something over
a year ago on the pulp question"
The following is copy of the tele--
gram Senator Edwards sent to Sir
Wilfrid Laurier:
"Most sincerely and earnestly hope
you will pay no regard to unjustified
demand made upon you for a duty on
southern pine coming from the
United States. The demand arises In
consequence of temporary stagna-
ton in our business which will soon
pass away. The imposition Of the
duty would be most trifling in so far
as mitigation of the present dullness
in Canadian trade is concerned, and
would be most unpopular excepting
with a few avaricious lumber manu-
facturers. / sincerely beg you to all
low one Canadian industry to exist
without placing it in the despicable
position Of robbing the consumers OF
its product for it's benefit"
In answer to request for permits
sion to make public use of the cor
respondence Senator Edwards wired
Dec. %:
you are at liberty to use my letter.
also the copy of the telegram to Sir
Wilfrid Laurier, and letter in witness
on pulp question in any way you de-
sire Take no stock in childish state
ment that Canadian government will
impose export duty on forest products
if American government removes i'm
port duties. Such too absurd for con-
sideration. Is ridiculous"
In the letter referred to as being
published in the Witness (MontreaD,
Senator Edwards takes the position
that there is no good reason why Can
ada should place an export duty on
pulp wood shipped to American pulp
and paper mills.
SIGNALS OF NEW YEAR IN U. S.