The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-12-08
Reference to Lumber May
Cause Explosion
HE HINTS THAT REMOVAL
Of Duties Is Not possible-Sensation
in Disagreement with Ballinger--It
Might Easily Result in the Sec
retary's Resignation.

Washington, Dec. s.-Bombs are hour
| ~ being pIucked from President Taft's
/ message, as that remarkable document
is studied more at leisure One that
will explode loudest is the very clear
threat Of the president of the removal
of the lumber duties. While the hear
ings Of the ways and means committee
were in progress and thereafter, a
strenuous attempt was made to discoy-
er the existence of so-called lumber
trust, but it failed and the lumber men
exultingly pointed out TO Congress that
no trust condition prevailed in the in
dustry hence no removal or reduction
Of the duties would be warranted on that
score
President Taft, however, appears not
to have been contented to leave the sit
uaton in this shape and in his message
he showed that while no trust or COM
bination in the manufacture Of lumber
exists, a direct investigation made by
the commissioner OF corporations Of
eighty per cent. Of the privately owned
timber demonstrates that one.half of
the timber in this area is owned by two
hundred individuals and corporations and
fourteen per cent. is owned by three
corporations. The commissioner discov.
ers, also, very extensive nterowner.
ship of stock and other circumstances
pointing to such friendly relations
among the owners as might easily lead
to combination to bold up prices. The
president regards these relations as cir
cumstances very detrimental to the
public interest," and they would, he
says, create the necessity OF remov-
ing all tariff obstacles to the free i'm.
portation Of lumber from other coun-
tries
These significant lines have alarmed
the lumber interests as represented in
Congress and have correspondingly en-
couraged statesmen of one kind or an
other to bring some glory to the Re-
publican party, by achieving a little
tariff revision at this session. The lum.
Der dtuies are comparatively simple and
the administration, if it were wiling
TO encourage any tartf action in the
near future, might not feel under OBJ
legation to await a special report Of the
tariff board before eonsenting to action.
The presidents words at least. are a
hint to the lumber industry that if too
high prices are found TO prevail, without
any break along the line, evidence enough
has already been adduced from official
sources to warrant a removal OF the
protection which the unhroken line OF
high prices itself would prove to be I'm
necessary.
An even more sensational paragraph
"a H.. l. ~.
president admits himself to be in sharp
disagreement with Secretary Ballinger
over the question Of leasing public coal
lands, a policy which the president APP
proves and the secretary does not The
president advertses to the country de-
liherately that he has overruled the see
rotary on this very important point
This action at least invites popular
inference whether a cabinet officer so
frankly discerdited by his chief on a
great question Of public policy would
care to continue a member Of the adj
ministration.
comes the interesting information, Of.
ticially, Of course, that Secretary Bal,
linper and Land Commissioner bennett
are not on good terms. One reason is
said to be that the commissioners sup
port Of the secretary during the recent
investigation was rather more lukewarm
than Mr. Ballinger liked. It has been
announced as one Of the purposes Of the
new Democratic administration to re.
open the whole Ballinger- Pinchot ques-
ton in case satisfactory action should
not he taken III the course Of the pres.
ent session of Congress.